The Pages Turning

primary code, subjective mysterium

2009-05-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

ghosting the echoes of the pale
deep down, desert bunker
with some other evolutionary operatives

dharmicmel
sunday. 17 may 2009 ce

Books 001

2009-05-08T20:10:00.001-07:00

dharmicmel
friday. 08 may 2009 ce

deep, dark shadow in the zeitgeist

2009-04-25T01:04:00.001-07:00

Christoph Bangert for The New York Times

iraq, april 24, 2009 ce
violence and death as the result of deep divisions between Sunnis and Shiites
and always, the children die and suffer
the beat goes on, and on, and on .....
man’s inhumanity to man, the children in the crossfire

we learn so much, we accomplish so much
only to find, that it is one step forward and two steps back
because, we keep doing the wrong things
we keep dancing in the dark
despite the glitter and glow of what we call civilization and the status quo
and always the children
must suffer man’s inhumanity to man

dharmicmel
saturday. 25 april 2009 ce

justoneof those lives

2009-04-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

okay ...
here's what happens when you do bioengineering and brain emulation, gone slightly askew

or

here's what happens when you do too much solitary meditation

dharmicmel
sunday. 19 april 2009 ce

monolithic studios time travel

2009-04-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

monolithic studios

interesting, visionary ... and very visually appealing; images like this picture a future, civilization, and the experience of sentient being, that so very often, seem very appealing, at least on the surface; we cannot be sure as to what it would really be like, but it is very suggestive

I find this image to be a very unique and interesting depiction of the collective experience and time travel; whether true or not, whether possible or not, it is definately something for the imagination, and something for a potential that might, in some way, come to pass

dharmicmel
saturday. 18 april 2009 ce

can you smell that smell < ? >

2009-04-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

there is a zen saying regarding what it takes to gain enlightenment: “To gain enlightenment, you must want it as much as a man whose head is held under water wants air.”

seems extreme to me; in this world, there are not very many with their heads being held under water; and if that were true, it would not leave much time to become enlightened; I agree that a human being would desperately want air, and struggle mightily; I do not think that most people, however, are that desparate for enlightenment, nor are they focused enough, nor will they mostly likely be so anytime soon

if it takes such an extreme focus, I doubt very few , in this world will be wanting to gain enlightenment; as for the few, if they feel like me, they are not very taken by so-called “enlightened” beings in this world, whose conduct and attitudes leave a lot to be desired

enlightenment is not for my ego, or anyone else’s ego to be trashed, humiliated, or otherwise lessened by the “enlightened” one; worth and dignity of all come first, including respect for the individual, even if the “enlightened” don’t like their egos or claim that the ego is in the way of enlightenment; as far as I can see, most “enlightened” human beings have an enormous amount of EGO that they carry around, and yet THAT enroumous ego of the “enlightened” is not a problem

talk about disregard, contradiction, and disrespct

still, in this world, if an individual feels so inclined, or drawn to a relationship with an “enlightened” one, they are always free to do so; I just don’t want any part of it

I would rather be unenlightened and struggling to climb the highest spiritual mountain; if I ever say that I am enlightened, if I ever say that I am trying to teach, or that I am a master -- PLEASE -- someone, enlightened or not, take a gun to my head, and put me out of my misery

dharmicmel
thursday. 16 april 2009 ce

wildcard for the mind studio

2009-04-11T01:56:00.000-07:00

mindgate, imagination; special-state densities, and just a wink of stardust, subjectively magicked and alchemized; planting the seed, one moment for one mind, as it becomes; refresh rate for summer state (s) of embodiment

dharmicmel
saturday. 11 april 2009 ce

mindfulness, evolving references

2009-04-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

"For the most part, the mainstream media and federal government still treat the economic collapse as something that can be fixed, so that economic growth can resume in a few years. But some commentators are beginning to realize that our meltdown represents a deeper and more permanent paradigm shift. The physical environment can no longer withstand the assaults of our industrial culture. We are experiencing a termination of capitalism as we have known it, a shutdown recently dubbed "The Great Disruption" by Thomas Friedman, in The New York Times. Until recently a leading cheerleader for Neoliberal globalization, Friedman has come to the late realization "that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall." The longer the general population is allowed to remain in denial about what is happening, the more dire the probable consequences, such as widespread famine, civil unrest and a disintegration of basic services.

"The truth is that we need to make a deep and rapid change in our current social systems and in the underlying models and ideals of our society. It is highly unlikely that those who have been part of the power structure, whether within government or the mainstream media, possess the necessary will, vision or inspiration to make this happen. Also, when we consider their self-serving
support for a delusional model of infinite growth on a finite planet, ignoring all evidence to the contrary, our mainstream pundits and politicos have clearly forfeited any claim to authority, and should never be trusted again."

Daniel Pinchbeck. "Building a Scaffold for Social Change." Reality Sandwich.
april 10, 2009.

dharmicmel
saturday. 11 april 2009 ce

chickies

2009-04-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

baby chickies
always a delight
and always the wonderment of life

dharmicmel
friday. 10 april 2009 ce

true stories of Venus and Mars

2009-04-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

I put my hands on her hips
and then I kissed her navel
I could feel a slight tremble
and, an arc of electricity

she asked: where else would you like to kiss me < ? >
I kissed her neck, and then her lips
lingering for a few soft moments

and then, I said: everywhere

dharmicmel
thursday. 09 april 2009 ce

sigh of actuality and potentiality

2009-04-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

how long?
don't know .....
it could take forever
as in a heartbeat
as in the stretch of uncountable aeons
ineffable magnitudes

so downstream is endless being and becoming

how long, then
is long enough
just enough, but perhaps
never enough

sigh of echo, endlessly

dharmicmel
wednesday. 08 april 2009 ce

three, and eleven

2009-04-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

pages of intimacy

let’s trade secrets
let’s bare more than our skin
and let the wine we drink
be from the same cup
let’s draw close, everyone and every color
and find a way to never let go
and dream a dream, we’ll never give up
let’s break bread
and share it with strangers
and let’s pray
like there will be no tomorrow

mind in heat

I listen to you sing
it goes right through me
I am ego, leveled
as your soul
throws something special into my flesh

I sing as you sing
I listen, as your heart goes out
I laugh, I cry
as your voice is a light
taking me, making me
I listen, in wonderment

no quarter

I saw you, shadow and silhouette
my heart slammed against my chest
and for one long moment
time stood still, and I was breathless again

how can this be
after so much time
how can I feel, in depth of passion
what is no longer there

across a distance, in this crowded street
our eyes were one, stretching the moment further
as I walked away, another anonymous body in this sea of flesh

dharmicmel
friday. 03 april 2009 ce

word paintings, x for the x

2009-04-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

the edge, the voice
heart, echo cryout
eyes to the turning of the pages
the hum, the weight
of 21st century evolution
it’s me, myself, and I
it’s you, them, and everyone else
timebombs in the charm
virus apocalyptica

which way now
which way the metaphor
the flush and fusion of the blood
gray rainbows
meadow flowers
tombstone eyes
heart and sigh of the deeper breath

always, the relentless turning of the pages
always, the yearning
heart’s desire, a simpler time
slow being and becoming
and not this relentless rush of instant karma

ever the weight, the breath work
slow movement in the dance of free spirit

dharmicmel
thursday. 02 april 2009 ce

Shadow-cat

2009-03-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

dharmicmel
tuesday. 31 march 2009 ce

strength for strength, state for state

2009-03-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

" I can’t help but think that a lot of people are embracing only the rational or only the spiritual. But by reducing themselves to one or the other, they neglect half of their existence and cause division in the world. I’m not promoting moderate wishy-washiness; instead, I believe that every man should pursue truth with his rational mind and explore the depths of his spiritual and emotional core, without fear that they cannot coexist. Perhaps by embracing the totality of ourselves, we can have faith without fanaticism, and reason without skepticism. The theist and the atheist could have a mutual respect for one another based on the courage necessary to take a stand, knowing that life is fleeting and the evidence we have isn’t sufficient to unanimously persuade us in one direction or the other. "

Craig Haiss
Burton, Michigan
"Rants + Raves." Wired. jan 2007

most wanted, or .....

2009-03-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

..... or, that which is desperately needed

world peace
truth serum for lip synch
more wardrobe malfunctions
long, hot, steamy sex
pussy that smells like fresh peaches
spiritual skies
global justice for all
rejuvenenator nanobots; free; for everyone

desktop nanomanufacturing unit; free, for everyone; yee-ha!!!; with one of these, every day will be like Christmas!!!

a global, material superabundance; see previous entry
something for depth of experience
informed revolt
a deprogramming of the norm

a cure for politics
also, the male ego
teenagism
the new normal
man's inhumanity to man

personal liberation metaphors
honest laughter
safe sex for everyone
a kinder, more evolved mindkind

a cure for parents who bring children into the world and don't take care of them

personal responsibility in the scheme of things
love, peace, and high thoughts

dharmicmel
saturday. 28 march 2009 ce

pages turning, but who's fighting the future?

2009-03-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

personal mythology is little more than mass mediocracy
freefall, in the veils
nothing to take back the night, to seize the day

dharmicmel
friday. 27 march 2009 ce

through the dharmanautic glass lightly

2009-03-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
( I am large, I contain multitudes. )

-- Walt Whitman. "Song of Myself." 1855.

dharmicmel
friday. 27 march 2009 ce

desire and necessity, promise and peril

2009-03-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

both the promise and the peril are increasing, getting closer to the everyday reality and experience of things; it is exhilirating, and, it is unnerving

more and more, what has seemed like science fiction, and something far off, is now seen as scienfic possibility -- getting closer and closer to the scheme of things

it is extraordinary to think that we have come so far, and are getting so close to a greater existential equilibrium, one in which we can truly begin to exercise sentient potential, unlike anything ever imagined; and yet, at the same time, existential risk seems to be increasing, from many fronts

I think we are compelled to examine what creates all of these things, but I am not sure that most folks will do so; we need to go deep within ourselves, but the mainstream will not do that

existential risk is not about doom and gloom; it is about objectively examining what is what; beyond that, I don’t know what is going to happen

we have to keep our minds and hearts in focus; despite any and all things, now, and the coming decades, is not a time to lose our grip on things; it is passage, and as such, it demands time and attention, mind and heart

there must be a greater light; but where it is, or what it is, I cannot say

dharmicmel
thursday. 26 march 2009 ce

HRP - 4C

2009-03-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

The road to universal robots

"Research scientist Hans Moravec sees a four-stage evolution towards universal robots—robots with human-level intelligence flexible enough to do a broad range of tasks. Key to this evolution is a steady increase in computer power, defined in terms of millions of instructions per second, or MIPS.

"Moravec describes computer intelligence in terms of animal intelligence. For example, a typical home computer has 1000 MIPS of power, about the brain power equivalent of an insect. Among Moravec’s predictions, outlined below, is that robots will achieve human-level intelligence (100,000,000 MIPS) in 2040.

"Year: 2010

"Processing power: 3,000 MIPS
"Intelligence equivalent: lizard

"Robots will have basic navigation skills and could be used for cleaning or delivery and take on expanded roles in factories.

"Year: 2020

"Processing power: 100,000 MIPS
"Intelligence equivalent: mouse

"Robots will be able to learn on the job, adapting their own programs to perform more successfully. Robots will do the same jobs as before, but more reliably and flexibly.

"Year: 2030

"Processing power: 3,000,000 MIPS
"Intelligence equivalent: monkey

"Robots will demonstrate world modeling: a general understanding of objects and what they are for, and of living things and how to interact with them. For example, a robot will “know” what an egg is and know that it must be picked up gently. Simulations will allow robots to practice and perfect new tasks before attempting them. Robot servants will be able to “read” the moods of the people around them.

"Year: 2040

"Processing power: 100,000,000 MIPS
"Intelligence equivalent: human

"Robots will be able to speak and understand speech, think creatively, and anticipate the results of their actions far in advance. With reasoning power at or beyond the human level, robots will be generally as competent as people." [emphasis added ]

Words for our Modern Age. Robots. Part 3. The road to universal robots.

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 march 2009 ce

spectrum, forward metaphors

2009-03-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

" What can we expect from a machine soul, an organon of self awareness? We must not expect this organon to mirror our own selves. We have arisen as the result of purely natural processes; one of the great achievements of modern science has been the elimination of God or other teleologisms as a necessity from our explanations. The organon of machine soul will arise from conscious human design, however, or some extension of human design. Conscious design may prove to be far superior in creative power to natural evolution. We must not limit ourselves, or limit the natures of these organons, or we may impose horrible burdens upon these, our greatest offspring. "

Greg Bear. Queen of Angels. (235-36) 1990.

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 march 2009 ce

re-imaging, vision seed

2009-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

re: the real me, the real you

soul types, and the celebration is on
as we make availability
what it is
it is heart and mind
cool moon, hot sun
mosaic of obvious intention
speechless, sometimes
her eyes, moon and sun
her hard nipples, pushing the fabric
and some of my buttons
unspoken, yet so much
bubbles, surface
I think of it as a critical milestone
while inside
primal mysterium
and more gifts than ever imagined
soul league
shadows die
intuitive mystical core
ascends, ascension
sudden cosmograph
and the everyday world
just slowly fades away
forever

dharmicmel
monday. 23 march 2009 ce

collage in deep subjective water

2009-03-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

energies, internalized realizations
occult fire over the mindscape
wholemind/deepmind, organizing metaphors

dharmicmel
tuesday. 17 march 2009 ce

spin the bottle variant on truth or dare

2009-03-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

sigh and echo
end of days
or
godhead

no middle ground, no standing still
no denial

you decide

dharmicmel
monday. march 16, 2009 ce

tip of the existential magickal iceberg

2009-03-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.

-- Romans 12:2

dharmicmel
sunday. 15 march 2009 ce

primrose color-shift

2009-03-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

heart, and the casual eye
morning, still the dreaming
Sunday swan, singing the heart, the dreaming

dharmicmel
saturday. 14 march 2009 ce

fun times for end times, or something like that

2009-03-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

dharmicmel
friday. 13 march 2009 ce

not yet deeply considered enough

2009-03-12T03:21:00.000-07:00

morality -- the things about right and wrong and the human experience -- is not something mandated from on high, or written in stone; it is something that human beings create, and to what extent, always varies; morality is an existential variable, depending on a multiplicity of factors, in terms of what it is, or might be, or what it might come to be, or not to be; I am not saying there is no morality, but on the other hand, I think it is a relative term, subject to attitudes, assumptions, and expectations; it is always colored with subjective perceptions, beliefs, and again, attitudes, assumptions, and expectations; I believe that moral and ethical standards are an absolute necessity; coming to terms with such and actually living these things, is something else entirely, and again, is always relative; if anyone reading this doubts my conclusions, simply take a look at history, the present state of planetary affairs, and particularly, that of man's inhumanity to man

man’s inhumanity to man, in particular, demonstrates the tangled and confused perceptions of morals and ethics on this planet, or lack thereof; as always, we are hanging by a thread and only just inches from a return to the cave; and yet, in the thick of it all, there is an overabundance of denial, with a life-focus trying to do everything to bolster the ego in the face of things

simply talking or thinking about morality is not enough, and never has been; acting upon values -- always colored by attitudes, assumptions, and expectations -- is a very mixed bag; meanwhile, the human condition is what it is, and needs very much to be very, very improved, to say the least; and, meanwhile, the beat goes on, i.e, man’s inhumanity to man; most, in my view, do not like to think about a lot of things involving morality and the human condition, but not thinking about it does not make it better

existential risk -- the consequences of what we do or do not do -- is now coming at the human race from every direction; there are numerous crossroads of determination; there are no guarantees; and, in my view, there is not a significantly strong focus to substantially deal with the shape of things to come; what does that say about our supposed morality?

we have a long, long way to go; I am dubious as to whether or not we have the necessary time, as well as the focused intention, to go the distance

the 21st century may determine an outcome wherein we do not make it; I certainly hope not, but at present, I am not highly optimistic

dharmicmel
thursday. 12 march 2009 ce

wolfram alpha

2009-03-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

TechCrunch
“Wolfram Alpha Computes Answers To Factual Questions: This Is Going To Be Big.”
Nova Spivack
March 8, 2009

the following is an excerpt from the above:

A Computational Knowledge Engine for the Web

In a nutshell, Wolfram and his team have built what he calls a “computational knowledge engine” for the Web. OK, so what does that really mean? Basically it means that you can ask it factual questions and it computes answers for you.

It doesn’t simply return documents that (might) contain the answers, like Google does, and it isn’t just a giant database of knowledge, like the Wikipedia. It doesn’t simply parse natural language and then use that to retrieve documents, like Powerset, for example. Instead, Wolfram Alpha actually computes the answers to a wide range of questions — like questions that have factual answers such as “What country is Timbuktu in?” or “How many protons are in a hydrogen atom?” or “What is the average rainfall in Seattle?”

Think about that for a minute. It computes the answers. Wolfram Alpha doesn’t simply contain huge amounts of manually entered pairs of questions and answers, nor does it search for answers in a database of facts. Instead, it understands and then computes answers to certain kinds of questions.

Future Steps

I think there is more potential to this system than Stephen has revealed so far. I think he has bigger ambitions for it in the long-term future. I believe it has the potential to be THE online service for computing factual answers. THE system for factual knowlege on the Web. More than that, it may eventually have the potential to learn and even to make new discoveries. We’ll have to wait and see where Wolfram takes it.

Maybe Wolfram Alpha could even do a better job of retrieving documents than Google, for certain kinds of questions — by first understanding what you really want, then computing the answer, and then giving you links to documents that related to the answer. But even if it is never applied to document retrieval, I think it has the potential to play a leading role in all our daily lives — it could function like a kind of expert assistant, with all the facts and computational power in the world at our fingertips.

I would expect that Wolfram Alpha will open up various API’s in the future and then we’ll begin to see some interesting new, intelligent, applications begin to emerge based on its underlying capabilities and what it knows already.

In May, Wolfram plans to open up what I believe will be a first version of Wolfram Alpha. Anyone interested in a smarter Web will find it quite interesting, I think. Meanwhile, I look forward to learning more about this project as Stephen reveals more in months to come.

One thing is certain, Wolfram Alpha is quite impressive and Stephen Wolfram deserves all the congratulations he is soon going to get.

notes:
* due for release in may 2009
* thought of as being the next big thing
* integral to Web 2.0
* reference to the Singularity; not clear on this one
* tons of hype, too, and lots of criticisms, which is a good thing
* posted march 8, 156 comments so far -- as of march 11

dharmicmel
thursday. 12 march 2009 ce

conscious otherness, magickal spectrum

2009-03-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

a quick glimpse, internalization
something for moments in the mindwine
mythic veils, and 21st century zeitgeist
spacemusic eyes, inwardly this
inwardly that, but not to fade away
consciously radical
as within, so without
pages turning

dharmicmel
wednesday. 11 march 2009 ce

believe it or don't

2009-03-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

we don't have the money, or so we are told, for social programs and the needs of human life in order to make for a better quality of life
BUT
we have plenty of money to bail out banks and build more war-toys for the war machine
the beat just goes on, and on, and on ..... including the rock music that goes with the film

dharmicmel
wednesday. 11 march 2009 ce

whatever happened to government of, by, and for the people < ? >

2009-03-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

this blog is in response to the blog entry “When Republicans Attack,” by Margaret Kimberley / March 11th, 2009, posted at Dissident Voice

the Republicans seem to be doing their best to obstruct, in any way possible, what anyone else might be trying to do; just because they no longer hold their dictatorial national office, does not mean that their agenda is anything less, or anything less focused; both covertly and overtly they have, I believe, a long term agenda, and they are determined to see it through; their focus is far superior to the Democrats, though being superior, in this case, is hardly a good thing; it does not bode well for the rest of us, or for this country

this country needs to start doing something real to address the issues that must be focused upon; for example, take the largest military budget in the world, and start doing something sensible, sane, and human for the citizens of America by using that money for necessary things, such as the people, and not the politicians and special interest groups; it seems more and more, that it is less and less for the average American citizen, that the bottom line is to put us even further down and out; what is the primary purpose of government?; to serve the people, all of the people, and not just a few; that is something the Bush/Chaney Gang completely ignored, and even did their best to downgrade -- along with trashing the Constitution, further enabling the rich, and constantly telling lies; and sadly, many of us, the people, buy into those lies; of course, telling the lie has been going on for a long time in this country, and people have been accepting the lie for a long time, but that does not excuse the liars or their intentions

I also agree with the view that the Democrats have been spineless, but I think such a reference goes beyond just one party, and spreads out all across the land, from sea to shining sea; as I see it, it does not really matter who is in political office, because politicians, generally speaking, quit representing the American people a long time ago; politics is used as a tool, as well as a hammer, for power, command, and control; it does not work to serve the best interests of the people; I feel that politicians in general have failed the American people; if they were to receive a report card, I would give them a big fat F, and kick them out of government; I would also kick them out of the country, but I don’t know where I would send them, as it would not be right to pollute another country with our garbage; the American people are yoked with the heavy burden of a government that no longer serves their needs in order to make for a better quality of life; they do just the opposite, by favoring the rich, the government, the military, the banks and other corporations, and a plethora of interests groups; they will help them and call it the right thing to do; if people ask for help, they are denounced as socialists and every obstruction possible is put in their way; it is no longer a government of, by, and for the people

what to do?; certainly not what we have been doing; the present system fails to address quality, care, and concern for the human being; a revolution won’t do, because the oppressive government would beat it down, and put in its place even more oppressive measures; and, even if a revolution were tried, it would do far more harm than good; what to do?; the decisions as to what to do cannot be up to one person or group of persons, much like the Bush/Chaney Gang did, and much like the conservative, Republican agenda, which has determined that they must decide for the rest of us, and they must decide what is best, and save us from ourselves; what to do?; that is a big, big question for the 21st century

I can’t help feeling that the general meltdown in this country is something that all of us are responsible for, to some degree; blaming politicans, of all stripes and persuasions, doesn’t go very far and doesn’t do much at all; blame, and denial, does not go far enough, or really deal with the underlying core of things that allows for the present state of affairs; such an assessment, more than anything else, tells a dark story about the state of the union, and the people; the politicians, the special interest groups, as well as the institutions, corporations, and the military love it; a nation of sheep is what we are, and we are getting, not what we deserve, but what we have allowed to happen for so long

dharmicmel
wednesday. 11 march 2009 ce

subconscious flush, deeply considered

2009-03-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

silence of days
echo potential, echo manifestation
transformation, release notes

dharmicmel
monday. 09 march 2009 ce

subjective free fall and the pages turning

2009-03-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

as of this writing -- saturday. 07 march 2009 ce -- there is no cure for humanity, no cure for the opaque Ego, and no cure for man’s inhumanity to man; these three things -- left untransformed -- could significantly contribute to the equivalent of throwing a monkey wrench into our hopes and dreams for the future, and for the human condition

it has been said that you can take a person to heaven, but they will bring the hell inside of them with, and thus, you will turn heaven into hell; this situation is abundantly clear in the broad range of human history and experience

we are living in one of the most extraordinary times in human history because of pending capabilities in application of science and technology and because, collectively speaking, and for the very first time, we humans as an entirety, are entering into a conscious evolution

the future holds many exciting possibilities, such as an anticipated elimination of all disease, a dramatic increase in health and longevity, and very significant increases in both human and machine intelligence; there is nothing similar -- either in development or anticipation -- for all of the negatives that come with human nature; human nature and human intelligence do go hand in hand, but it does not mean that significant advances in human intelligence will be equally matched by advances in the quality of human nature; we cannot say, with any degree of certainty, that changes in human nature -- especially that of attitudes, assumptions, and expectations -- will be changed or transformed enough to allow for a wide spectrum of future possibilities, including a better quality of life for everyone; the beat goes on, and on, and on

if we create a wonderful future, for one and all, and bring along the same attitudes, assumptions, and expectations that we experience today, we will only bring hell into heaven; being vastly empowered beyond our wildest dreams, not only will we pollute the new with the old, we will also rush into a very high existential risk of such things as oblivion -- for example, some kind of gray goo scenario that wipes out all sentient life, warfare that results in complete annihilation of all sentent beings, or the Ais come into ascendency, take on look at us, and put an end to the entire transmission -- or it will be back to the caves, for the few who survive

the mix of tremendous future possibilities and human nature is more than the shape of things to come; it is also another reality check, and the handwriting on the wall
these things have been said over and over; we have had one warning after another, and one plea for consideration and re-consideration after another; it is almost like we have developed some kind of immunity against them; they do not compute, or else they are of little or no concern; we seem to be blinded by the light of who we think we are, and what we think we are going to do

I am made to wonder if enough consideration will ever be given to these things; we do not have a lot of time to do some of the things that we must do, like, transforming human nature; without a universal transformation of human nature, the extent of existential risk only increases, lessening the possibilities for times to come, and for future generations

so, we have the shape of things to come, another reality check, the handwriting on the wall, and one more thing -- still another wake up call

no matter the vision, the intelligence or the perceived intelligence, and no matter the magnitude of ego, nothing is guaranteed; priorities, intention, what is done or not done, will count for everything, and that will determine the shape of things to come

dharmicmel
saturday. 07 march 2009 ce

at this very moment

2009-03-07T15:58:00.001-08:00

there is always something special, almost anywhere one might look
the world around us, the world (s) within
it's like open source
here, there, and everywhere
mind candles
yesterday, today, and tomorrow
echoed, and re-echoed

dharmicmel
saturday. 07 march 2009 ce

progression of states

2009-03-07T01:17:00.000-08:00

this is fluff-cat
she used to live outside
now, she is an indoor cat, residing with the other cool cats
fluff-cat is a very cool cat

p.s. I recall someone stating that they do not own a cat; that got me to thinking about ownership and cats; it seems to me that we humans do not really own cats, nor do they own us; it seems mostly that cats allow us to attend to their needs and we pretend that we are in control of things, when in fact, cats are the obvious center of the universe; they of course do provide a wonderful presence which adds to the quality of life for humans; and, the cats here at the abode do seem to like being with us; the feeling is mutual

one does not need to have cats to live; however, the life experience can be greatly enhanced by the presence of cats

of course, there is such a thing as too many cats in one place, but that is another story entirely

dharmicmel
saturday. 07 march 2009 ce

overunity and the subjective mysterium

2009-03-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

starfire, subjective mysterium
midnight blue
crossover into occult combination and recombination

dharmicmel
friday. 06 march 2009 ce

the next gate, and then existential limbo

2009-03-06T02:01:00.001-08:00

summerflash echo
quick template over the winter references
and the weeping of old leaves
lost to smiles
and the softer envelopes of the heart

but presently, in every presence
in every experience unfolding, in every crashing sigh
some kind of constant background radiation
echo the scars
the barbs
the broken glass
and jaded mirrors .....

until the flush
is just a jaded semblance, cold
and maybe, this
all of this
the moments, the places
was just a glyph of imagination
samsarically dazzled
the last thoughts of a Shambhala never realized

3rd eye down
the candles lessened, rainbows to gray
lost in the back pages

dharmicmel
friday. 06 march 2009 ce

buttons 002

2009-03-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

dharmicmel
friday. 06 march 2009 ce

presence, population, and the pages turning

2009-03-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

US population: 305, 950, 523
World population: 6,764,768,523

friday. 06 march 2009 ce
U.S. Census Bureau. POPClocks.

the beat goes on; the clock keeps ticking
increasing demand on resource useage and allocation
the weight of the world, for presence and for future generations; ever the increasing density of the world problematique, and existential risk; ever the dead weight of the the norm

wake-up call, again and again
the beat goes on; the clock keeps ticking

dharmicmel
friday. 06 march 2009 ce

the lotus of 6.7 billion

2009-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

blessings, and high thoughts
echo, you and me
us and them
a candle burning
for one and all

all together now
a new, and ever-newer spectrum of synergies
thinking of all the chakras burning, a new light
an evolved presence, a fire of transformation for the scheme of things
blessings, and high thoughts

for what it’s worth
because, it could be worth a lot more than we have ever thought
and, it could be worth something in more ways than we have ever thought

namaste

dharmicmel
friday. 06 march 2009 ce

the new order of the ages

2009-03-05T23:39:00.000-08:00

The general assumption that is increasingly adding weight in the scheme of things is that the 21st century is the century of Me - Myself - and I. Because it is the 21st century, and because so much has happened, the feeling is that there is no sense in holding back. The 20th century, on the other hand, has certainly been real, but now it is old news, it is history.

Everything can happen. Anything goes. Limits are temporary. Extreme is just the beginning. Reality is what you can do, what you can pull over other’s eyes, and what you can get away with. Above all, personal responsibility is not only relaitive, it is also very over-rated. Personal responsibility has now morphed into everything for Me - Myself - and I. Just as the use of language morphs over
time, so too do people change and become aware of their true nature. The dead weight of the past is no longer with us.

Self-indulgence is all and everything. Live to the fullest for today. Absolutely nothing else matters, including the future of our children and their children, because it is every individual for Me- Myself - and I. That’s the way it is. You might want to seriously consider not having kids, or in not having any more kids, because in so doing everything about you and everything in your life can be greatly liberated and focused on everything for Me - Myself - and I. And don’t worry, because there will always be those who carry the 20th century torch for these kind of things, and they will bring plenty of children into the world. Everyone wins.

Take what you can get, and then try to figure out how you can get more. Get and have, own as much today as you can. Consume and be enterained, as much as possible. And of course, make your motto that of shop until you drop, and then extend that thinking other areas of your life. Make it happen, make it so. The greater the focus, the better the results.

Do what you can, and then try to do more, with no thought for the consequences. Consequences are for moralizing, and moralizing is for losers. It is so lame. When your children, and their children are older, they can then do the same thing. That is the way it has always been, and that is the way it is now.

If the resources aren’t there, they will figure something out. If the world is in a mess, they will figure something out. Everyone before us has always had to do something, and the children of both the present and the future are no exception. Besides, sooner or later, science and technology will cross a significant threshold, and then the sky will be the limit, and then everyone will be able to do anything they want to anyway. For example, just with nano-tech alone, there will be a material superabundance, no one will have to work because the machines will do all the work, health and wellbeingness will be radically increased for everyone, life extension will go through the roof, and Me - Myself - and I will be empowered with superintelligence, superhealth, and endless possibilities to do whatever is desired and can be imagined. All that, just from nanotechnology. The nano-tech is just the beginning, and that means, among other things, for Me - Myself - and I, it is clearly manifest destiny, on a new scale and new order of magnitude.

It should be abundantly clear: everything can and will be done, one way or the other. What cannot be done right now, will be done later. One way or the other. This is the 21st century, and this is the New, Universal Church of Me - Myself - and I. Our altar is self-indulgence, and we are very religious in our committment and faith to the New Order of the Ages. This is the century, the 21st century, the century of Me - Myself - and I.

These are great days, dudes.

If you find that you are not with this 21st century spirit, this zeitgeist of great expectations and manifestations, then you are so 20th century. You will have to learn to live with it, or, get out of the way. You don’t want to get in the way of Me - Myself - and I, or the global manifest destiny of Me - Myself - and I which is just around the corner.

This is the future and shape of things to come, a new and universal truth for the 21st century.

Think of it as a 21st century manifesto in process.

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 march 2009 ce

sigh and echo for a schizophrenic salad

2009-03-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

I want everyone to know, that coming soon, I, mostly junk melvin, will be world dictator

you may applaud

no sweat, though, because I will be very benevolent; and, everyone will finally see exactly what it means to be enlightened; there will be no arguments about it, because of the fact and clairty of the matter, which none will be able to deny; for the very few who deny my enlightement as the new global standard, and for the very few who might actually question or dispute my authority as world dictator in all human matters and affairs, they will receive attitude adjustment therapy; but more on that later

you may applaud

after one hour of applause, you may stop applauding; sorry, that’s all the time I can give you on this one; otherwise, the applause would go on for hours and hours, and actually, I want everyone to enjoy life under the world dictatorship of mostly junk melvin

you can call me Mr. Junk, or if you like, BigDic

I wouldn’t mind if people bow in my presence, especially when they first see me, as a greeting and token of their very deep respect and admiration for me; of course, this is not mandatory; and don’t concern yourself about those video cameras you will see everywhere, the ones keeping track of those who bow or do not bow; it’s just part of inventory control, among other things; just go about your lives as you normally would: just shop, consume, and be entertained; all is well; all is going according to plan, and know, that I, mostly junk melvin, world dictator, am smiling on all of you, with all of the splendor of sun

you may applaud

and don’t worry; I will be kind to everyone, including Republicans, as well as conservatives, scaliwags, anti-environmentalists, nincompoops, politicans, bureaucrats, hunters of harmless birds, and men who wear their ball caps on backwards; they can, if they prefer, wear perfumed wigs, like in times gone by; this is voluntary, of course; should they still continue to wear their ball caps on backwards, then they will receive whip cream enemas; if that doesn’t work, then it is off to the attitude adjustment therapy camps, wait, I mean attitude adjustment therapy centers; if there are any women who wear their ball caps on backwards, and if they are very good looking, especially blondes, then I will have them come to me, for a personal consultation; no charge; I’m just a nice guy, who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a ball cap that was on backwards

anyone who does not like, or disagrees with my blog posts will be required to report to various designated centers around the world; from there, they will be transported to an undisclosed underground facility, somewhere in the desert; they will love it; I know I will

but hey, don’t worry your pretty little heads; it’s all cool, it’s all love

I haven’t made up my mind about what is going to be the final solution to the cigarette smoking problem; more on that later

how much more benevolent can one be? well, just wait and see

follow my bliss, and then you will be following your bliss

benevolently yours, BigDic

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 may 2009 ce

brief note along the way

2009-03-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

Alpha-American male consensus
what more could you ask for?

well, probably more beer
a hot dog and some chips
and a blowjob

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 march 2009 ce

MIT Open Courseware

2009-03-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

Unlocking Knowledge, Empowering Minds.

Free lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT. No registration required.

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 march 2009 ce

environmental downer

2009-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

this is a photograph taken out back of the environment; someone took a dump; no care or concern about the environment; just get rid of what you don't want -- any way, any how

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 march 2009 ce

schemata in subjective blue

2009-03-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

mind yoga
an aphrodisiac for midnight blue
full spectrum, the metaphysical imagination

dharmicmel
tuesday. 03 march 2009 ce

high art, deep labyrinth

2009-03-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

dharmicmel
sunday. 01 march 2009 ce

Buttons 001

2009-03-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

dharmicmel
sunday. 01 march 2009 ce

=/= 52 =/=

2009-02-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

the projected timeline for all subjects under the general umbrellas of the Singularity and Transhumanism is widely varied; this is most likely true because of the number of variables involved, the complexity and increasing complexity involved, and the wide-openness of the subject matter

what the actual timeline is for any given subject -- such as uploading, artificial general intelligence, nanodesktop factory, or the Singulaity, for example -- depends on what you read, and who is making the projection; those making the projections have a wide range of opinions as to what is what, what will be what, and when, if ever

the general range of projections for the timeline run anywhere from soon, to within the next one-hundred years, to centuries, and even, not at all; one of the most far-off projections is concerned with artificial general intelligence, in which, it would seem that a lot of opinion is undecided

I currently subscribe to the point of view advanced by R. Kurzweil, concerning accelerating growth, and who speculates that increases in knowledge, science, and technology will at some point go exponential, and then advances will not be linear, but exponential, and, the very exponentiality of advance will continue to increase, exponentially; when this happens, ultraintelligent machines will most certainly follow, at which point all bets are off; it is beyond the sky was the limit; it is beyond anything the human brain can presently imagine

if exponential increase holds true, which seems fairly reasonable to me, then the timeline will become vastly shortened, and skyrocket at blinding speed into the future; there are numerous predictions and projections on what will happen and when, but in my view, it’s all a big guessing game right now

whatever it is, whatever will happen, it is definately the future fantastic coming up, and very soon

dharmicmel
saturday. 28 february 2009 ce

=/= 51 =/=

2009-02-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

fluid animation
quickening, depth of moment
hotblooded, in telepathic mode
sugared, the naked moment

over there, she tells me
of howling winds
and blizzard nights
it’s such an arcane atmosphere
and personal chronicle

stealth probe
the eternal light
mythologies, and a cup of tea
and still, so much
heart wide closed
for consenting adults

in symphony, the population
of the moment
the moment, defined
and re-defined
because it’s personal truth
laced with authentic being
the naysayers and debunkers
be damned

mind space, taurus
unfinished work
cerebroenergetics, encrypted mind
undocumented mind
personal stuff
passion for dawn, dance, and dharma

dharmicmel
thursday. 26 february 2009 ce

=/= 50 =/=

2009-02-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

dharmicmel
thursday. 26 february 2009 ce

=/= 49 =/=

2009-02-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

appearances and veils
lifepath for a magickal worldview
elements and images
occult fire over a mindscape
working the forward metaphors
echo, personal truth
infinite book, eternal mind

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 48 =/=

2009-02-25T08:25:00.001-08:00

leading elements
theme in black-lite metaphorphosis
sigh of the occult

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 47 =/=

2009-02-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

when I first became aware of uplift regarding other species -- 1983 -- it was through David Brin’s wonderful novel, Startide Rising; the story itself was full of great characterizations, a wonderful plot, and lots of things to think about; I really liked the book, and consider it to be among my favorite sci-fi novels; uplift seemed like a long way off; tantalizing, to be sure, but mostly a dream; but now the past has come to the present, in just 25 years, and now the idea of uplift is starting to get serious; and that is where the rub is

the more I think about the subject of uplift, meaning in this case, the deliberate, manufactured increase of intelligence by human beings in other species to be equal to human intelligence, the less inclined I am to endorse it; I especially have trouble with the respect and dignity part; we are presently unable to globally respect each other, and treat each other with dignity; for that matter, we show the same lack of respect and dignity for the earth, but that is another subject; if we cannot do this amongst ourselves, how will be extend what should be unquestionable human rights to species of animals that are considered to be below human beings on the evolutionary ladder of things?

there are also serious concerns about how uplift might work; suppose, for example, that indentured servitude is imposed upon uplift species, like in Brin’s novel? how is that going to work, and what will happen with it?; we already seriously mis-apply ourselves with things now, so as not to benefit all of humanity; how will this be significantly different with uplifted species, when we are at a very low, even unevolved consciousness of universal compassion and respect and dignity for one and all?

it is my view that we are not morally, ethically, and especially emotionally evolved enough to engage in the uplift of other species, such as cats, dogs, apes, and dolphins, to name a few; none of this even mentions spiritual development; the way things are predicted to go, in general terms, with regards to accelerated growth and development, we will, in my view, soon be the equivalent of light-years apart, with regards to scientific/technological developments and that of spiritual growth and development; science and technology will have a billion points, to put it one way, while spirituality will continue to have, oh maybe, 300 points; without a balance in things, the status quo can only continue to be, and move on; it’s as though we give a polite nod to all things spiritual, while at the same time we move onwards into things that we believe are what counts more than anything else; and yet, we are spiritual beings at the core, denying the truth of what we are, and living as though it is not a very significant matter in the scheme of things; human hubris just continues to map the territory, as always, and in the case of uplift, it portends many grave possibilities

I believe we should in no way move forward on uplift of other species at this time; I suspect that we will, as usual, go ahead with things, without thinking them through and without giving them time for consideration; it’s just one more thing about the relentless movement towards one brave new world after another that fills me with trepidation; in view of man’s inhumanity to man, I fail to see how that inhumanity will not apply to uplifted species

the beat goes on, and now we want it to intrude, full force, into other living creatures, and this without their consent, simply because presently we cannot offer such a thing; it’s not a predicament; it’s absurd

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 46 =/=

2009-02-25T07:39:00.001-08:00

early morning
camera painting the moment
extraordinary synergies
acts of grace

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 45 =/=

2009-02-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

the magnificence of samsara

by

mf ballew

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
-- John Lennon.

moonlight flow
for echoes of being
for appearances and veils
the glyphs, too
hanging from subjective rainbows
skydancing, singing tao
wild and free, it seems
almost like a conspiracy of light
deep in her eyes
heartflash, whispering active metaphors
as I finally grok the moment
somewhere between
horizon and sky, mind rose
the real you
the real me, in constant
flush of metamorphosis
soft silence, the angels
working chakras runs
and AI transformations in the sun
these moments, in the zone
night, into authentic arching

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 44 =/=

2009-02-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

the rational view generally means that rationalism -- from the dictionary: the principle or habit of accepting reason as the supreme authority in matters of opinion, belief, or conduct -- is it, that it is all and everything, with rationalism meaning the belief that reason alone determines the true and real measure, quality, meaning, and depth of all things, and informs all things as a totality; the suggestion, or worldview -- including attitudes, assumptions, and expectations -- that maintain a central, primary consensus of reason and materialism, in all things

I am not ready to give up on so-called irrational considerations, or to conclude that rationality is it; it’s still a theory of existence, and it is not proven that it is all and everything; we’re in a box, but it is just one box; there may be other states, other realities, and we are just not aware of them, and might never be, if we don’t go further

having so far expressed myself on the subject does not mean that I deny the importance or even reality of reason; along with some common sense, it goes a long way in the scheme of things; the thing is that humans by no means conduct themselves on a daily basis in a rational manner, nor do they conduct their lives in a rational manner; this is something that I think rationalists either ignore or tend to dislike, and therefore, put themselves in a position where they think that because they are rational, they know more than others; the universe is too open-ended for such conclusions, based on such scant evidence; one box does not sum up the whole thing

strong and/or exclusive support of the rational view is a serious denial of the state of humanity as a whole -- especially the psychoemotional and subjective states that are deeply intimate and inherent in the human being and therefore the human state -- and is a rejection of the further evolutionary possibilities inherent in self-transcendence, which is assumed to be open-ended, and which both incorporates, and transcends, rationalism, in my view

nothing here is opposed to rationalism; what is being said is that rationalism is not all and everything, and it too is a theory of existence; it does serve us very well in many things, but it is not fully integrated into the human being or the human experience; that is probably because it is not the sum of things, and subjectively, we are trying to synthesize more of what the potential of totality really is

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 43 =/=

2009-02-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

I am looking into
what they are looking at; there is wholeness, there is surface
there is looking
there is seeing
all things moving
being and becoming
all the more for 21st century mythology
downstream, mainstream
strength for strength
turning the pages
deep subjective waters
state for state
flush and fusion
and sometimes
an existential wild card

dharmicmel
wednesday. 25 february 2009 ce

=/= 42 =/=

2009-02-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

I received a photograph of my grandparents, sent to me by my mother; I like this picture; they seem confident, about themselves, their lives, and their future; they look good together, almost as if they belong together; maybe that is some special magick that some couples have

what I find significant about this photograph, among other things, is what I see in their eyes

in this picture, my grandparents are very young; in fact, it is a wedding picture, which makes this picture even more ancient than I am, which is something significant in and of itself, if only to me

in their eyes I see what is in most people’s eyes: their wants, needs, and desires, as well as attitudes, assumptions, and expectations; in this sense, they are mostly like we are; no matter the changes, the beat goes on

certainly there are changes that go on from generation to generation; nothing stays the same, but in some major ways, nothing really changes; much development and change has been made since their wedding picture, and much in the way of the human drama has transpired; but way back then, they were just like us: they wanted things, they had dreams, goals, and personal agendas; they had children; they experienced life in all of its multiplicites and varieties; they had assumptions and attitudes about a host of subjects, and their expectations burned as much in their hearts, as ours

I am a strong advocate for many transhumanist possibilities, including extended and enhanced life, intelligence increase, ultraintelligent machines, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnological applications, to name but a few; I believe that there are a lot of things in human nature that could be edited out, as it were, and the sooner the better; a conscious, self-directed evolution is coming, and for that, I am an advocate; I am not a sentimentalist humanist, by any means; we are moving towards the future, faster and faster, and the future itself is changing all the time; one of those changes could very well be the existence of being and becoming in a completely new type of embodiment, and even a completely new type of environment, one that might eclipse the human embodiment -- with all of this being directed and developed by an evolving state of sentient being; that’s you and me, us and them

looking at the photograph of my grandparents reminded me of very real people with very real personhood; as we race forward into the brave new world, we should try to keep in mind that every human being is worth something, and that there is something of them in us; there is so much of what we do now that becomes something of the past, to be quickly forgotten, because we like to think we have been there, and done that, or we like to think that something is so, for example, 20th century; I think it is important to not get too far ahead of ourselves; no matter where we go, no matter what we do, and no matter what we become, the very matter of where we have come from is important

there is just something very significant in their eyes

dharmicmel
tuesday. 24 february 2009 ce

=/= 41 =/=

2009-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

focus for presence
working the forward metaphors
skydancing, in colors of the moment

dharmicmel
monday. 23 february 2009 ce

=/= 40 =/=

2009-02-21T05:02:00.000-08:00

machine dominance is defined to mean the complete, unmistakable, and absolute command and control of planet earth -- including all life-forms -- by non-human machine intelligence; said machine intelligence will be autonomous and self-directed, and possibly completely indifferent to human input; said non-human machine intelligence will be constantly evolving at ever-increasing rates of growth, development, and change to such a degree as to be beyond human comprehension, and, beyond human control; even significantly stepped-down versions of machine generated, human-readable summaries will do nothing to explain machine awareness in any way that we could actually make sense of, or in any way that would give some measure of what contitutes the true scope and spectrum of self-aware machines; although the differences will be on orders of magnitude, this incomprehension is nothing new to human beings, who to this day, do not comprehend each other enough to make for a united humanity, one of all-inclusiveness for every individual, and most likely, per the present evolution of human consciousness, never will; the speculation here is that it is almost as though evolution is moving on to something else, and we, human beings, are going to be no longer a part of that; for all intents and purposes, we may be a stepping-stone to something else, and not the center of the universe, like we have thought for so long

the shape of things to come is clear: said command and control means that AIs take the Ascendency

the handwriting on the wall is clear: not if the AIs take the Ascendency, but when the AIs take the Ascendency

the wake-up call has come and gone; unless the entire planet is destroyed before machine awareness comes online, unless all human life is wiped out, and unless every last computer is obliterated, there will never be another wake-up call, and never another opportunity to prevent what might happen

as I see it, and this is only my opinion, the only real chance that the human race has right now of stopping machine dominance from occurring on this planet, is to pull the plug; there can be no half-measures about this, no luke-warm assumptions will do; if we human beings do not pull the plug -- and every indication is that we will not, as we are not capable of entertaining such a paradigm, much less putting into motion -- then the evolution of machine intelligence will be unstoppable, and ultimately, uncontrollable by human beings; all human aspirations, assumptions, and pretensions, particulary of ego grandeur, will be, for the most part, dust in the wind; the human race will be eclipsed by the sun of what will truly be a new world order, one that we have not created, and one that we have zero influence with and control over; it will be something akin to the cyber-manifestation of absolute totality, with the machine rewriting the code, and redoing everything, whether we like it or not

it is not known as to exactly what will happen to the human race, but one thing is for certain: there will be no illusions as to who and/or what is at the top of the food chain, and human beings will no longer be running things on this planet, taking the “running things” part with many, many grains of salt; whether human beings will in some significantly stepped-down way be part of the Ais in Ascendency, be kept as pets as Marvin Minsky has suggested, be put out to pasture, as it were, or, discontinued, is not known

machine dominance, and the Ascendency of Ais might be the primary reason why we have not made contact with other civilizations in the universe, because they too would have reached the same crossroads; if they pulled the plug, then they are trying to keep a low profile; if they did not, then it is a very good possibility that they no longer exist; we do not know if machine dominance is actually under way in some other part of the universe, except to say that it -- to the best of our knowledge -- has not been introduced into our galaxy by an outside AI presence; unless the human race pulls the plug, and the sooner the better, we may be on the verge of a possible end of days for the human race; it is arrogant beyond belief to think that human beings will be able to control something that will be unfathomable, incomprehensible, and technologically evolved beyond our minds and capabilities

I know that what is suggested herein does not compute for a lot of folks; the view here is that the probablity, with all other things being the same, will continue to advance, until the point of no return; the progress of science and technology is formidable, even inexorable; there is nothing to suggest an upper limit to advances in science and technology, and especially advances in computer and intelligent machines; and, there is nothing to suggest that humans as a whole, are going to digest the possiblities of machine intelligence establishing themselves in the scheme of things, or do anything about it, any time soon; if this happens, like it or not, the ascendency of the human race is over, the human experiment is over; this isn’t nihilism; this isn’t some dreary philosophy, or prophecy of any kind; it is simply something we are putting into motion, something for the shape of things to come

is there an alternative, besides that of pulling the plug?; there are possibilities, such as spiritual transcendence beyond physicality and materiality, racial enhancement of the human body and brain, getting off the planet and going somewhere else, and one or more wild cards that might offer an alternative; none of these possibilities are held in favor by a majority, and many among us believe that we do not have anything to worrry about, because we have always made it through, and the human collective always prevails; what we are not thinking about is the shape of things to come, both much faster than ever and so powerful and so intelligently advanced as to change everything, including plodding along and prevailing

having said the above, does not mean that I am for any form of nihilism, or the present prevailing attitudes of escapism, such as mass entertainment, the cult of personality, mass consumption, or that of taking life for granted; the present time is one of the most amazing periods ever, and it just keeps getting more amazing; and yet, we are closing in on more than one precipice, with the abyss getting deeper and darker than ever; I am for the rainbow, not the black hole of the end of days; I don’t know what can be done, I only know that each person has to decide for themselves what to do, or not to do; in any event, what I have outlined is only my personal opinion, although nothing said here should be construed to mean to party hardy

the handwriting is on the wall

and those of the conservative, right-wing agenda that are busy spearheading the globalization of the New World Order, thought they were going to get it all .....

dharmicmel
saturday. 21 february 2009 ce

=/= 39 =/=

2009-02-21T04:16:00.001-08:00

mirror the metaphor, depending
on what you see
and how much of the existential noise
you edit out

dharmicmel
saturday. 21 february 2009 ce

=/= 38 =/=

2009-02-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

as the sun rises
desert grok; kundalini fires, subconscious mandala; sudden immersion in stretched out moments of ancient deja vu; high alchemy: manifest, unmanifest,and transcendent; evolving sun, state of the sun
desert grok, somewhere -- absolute elsewhere -- on the road to the end of the world

p.s. the burn words are glowing in the dark

dharmicmel
monday. 16 february 2009 ce

=/= 37 =/=

2009-02-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

re: deep space

the vacuum of empty eyes
metasymphony of subjective metastatement
unlimited potential, zone of mental infinities
the distance between hearts estranged
the alienation within
compassion, the path, and the multiplicity of drives
hell in the abode
heavy echo to the holy

dharmicmel
saturday. 14 february 2009 ce

=/= 36 =/=

2009-02-13T02:54:00.001-08:00

first flowering
I was happy to see this
it was a pleasent surprise

dharmicmel
friday. 13 february 2009 ce

=/= 35 =/=

2009-02-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

subjective alchemy, blood fire
existential black box
dangerous visions, self-transcendence
strength for strength
state for state

dharmicmel
wednesday. 11 february 2009 ce

=/= 34 =/=

2009-02-11T00:43:00.000-08:00

this is a full-body image I found on a piece of firewood that I was going to put in my woodburning stove

dharmicmel
wednesday. 11 february 2009 ce

=/= 33 =/=

2009-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

endless city and the road ahead

in 1900, approximately 10% of the world’s population lived in cities
in 2007, approximately 50% of the world’s population lived in cities
in 2050, which is a little over 40 years from now, the world’s population living in cities is expected to be at 75%
my children, my grand children, and my great grand children will be experiencing first-hand what is referred to as the Endless City

ref: Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic. eds. The Endless City. Phaidon.
from a review in Seed. may/june 2008. p: 78.

seems like the shape of things to come; I cannot imagine what that would be like, and I do not want to; we seem to be compressing, condensing, when in my view, we should be spreading out, having more room to breathe, to dance, and to manifest the light

dharmicmel
monday. 09 february 2009 ce

Seed Magazine.

=/= 32 =/=

2009-02-09T02:11:00.000-08:00

Da Free John -- of many names, but this is the one that I am familiar with -- the same Da Free John "... who claimed and is seen by his devotees to be the most spiritually realized being ever to incarnate in human form, or even in the manifest cosmos" ... passed into transition, age 69, in Naitauba, Lau Islands, Fiji. Da Free John is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, controversial gurus/realized beings of contemporary times, if not all times.
27 november 2008 ce

like so many events, including the passing of Da Free John, I find out about them months later, or even years later; guess I’m not in with the in-crowd

Da Free John, known by many other names, but this is my name of choice, interested me because of the more intelligent discourse on spiritual matters found in his earlier works; there was also the sense of radicalness, the word radical used often in his earlier works, which appealed to me; I was particularly interested in his book Scientific Proof of the Existence of God Will Soon Be Announced by the White House: Prophetic Wisdom about the Myths and Idols of mass culture and popular religious cultism, the new priesthood of scientific and political materialism, and the secrets of Enlightenment hidden in the body of Man (Middletown, CA: The Dawn Horse Press, 1980), which in some respects, seemed to speak to me; the subtitle of the book gives a general account of the contents of the book, all subjects that I was interested in; I never thought of him as an absolute master or realized being, such as he and his devottees claim, but I did like some of his writings; as well, I do not excuse the abusive behavior of ANY guru -- of which he is seriously charged -- for any reason, as I expect them to have higher standards, which because they are so evolved or enlightened, should be able to easily incorporate into their life, attitudes, and activities; and finally, I reject the notion that one must be subservient to the ego of another, especially an “enlightened being,” and receive his direct transmissions, in order to evolve spiritual consciousness

his reference to practice as being that which is without any guarantees, and the statement that “Practice is Forever” has always been something that is relevant to me

“Those who have seriously taken up paths of esoteric spiritual transformation, whether Eastern or Western in origin, have begun to understand that there are no romantic consolations in such a way of life. There are no guarantees except practice, and practice is forever.”
"Sophisticated Illusions." The Laughing Man. Vol. 52, No. 4. (2)

I became aware of Da Free John through his book The Knee of Listening; I remember that Alan Watts, at the time of this book, declared that he thought Da Free John was the real thing, i.e., an avatar; I didn’t believe that then, because then I thought differently about who was the avatar for this age, influenced by Doreal’s work, and I don’t believe it now, because the whole question is suspect to me, including Doreal’s references; I am not necessarily discarding possibilities of evolved beings, but I have more questions than answers, and I do not accept the more standard and orthodox interpretations; plus, I tend to think that most evolved beings, are in fact, seriously deluded beings; I still go along with the idea that those who know, aren’t talking, and those who are talking, don’t know; but that has to be taken with many grains of salt, especially coming from me

I can remember receiving mail from The Dawn Horse Press, which was concerned with Da Free John’s books and the general mission of the group associated with him; some of his books are still on my shelf, and from time to time, I look at them; I became more interested in Christopher Hills and his works as time went on; in fact, there have been a lot of different authors, at different times, that I have been interested in, most of whom made no claims of divine authority nor did they expect others to be their devottees, or even want them to

The Enlightenment of the Whole Body is another of the books I like, this time by Bubba Free John; it concerns the whole body, not as an anti-thesis to spirituality, as so many have ascertained, but as an instrument of esoteric, spiritual, divine realization, which goes along with my thinking

what I have found in Da Free John’s writings is what I have found in most books on spiritual matters: some points of reference that I like or that speak to me; so, there is something to be learned from almost all sources, which seems to be an interesting and intergral apsect to most books on the subject

recently I came across an article in What is Enlightenment? which has morphed into EnlightenNext, concerning some artwork of Da Free John, known by another name, one among many; I did like the art, in fact, quite a bit

I have no strong attachments or sentiments regarding Da Free John; all I know is that he has persisted over the years, and lived and died being a Guru; I think a lot of study will have to go into the works of Da Free John, as well as his life and relationships with his devottees before a greater light of understanding will come forth

references:

Adi Da. Wikipedia.

dharmicmel
monday. 09 february 2009 ce

=/= 31 =/=

2009-02-08T16:27:00.001-08:00

this is smiley
he is always in a good mood
just looking at him sometimes makes me smile, and elevates my mood
I know, for the more cynical of heart and mind, this probably seems sappy
don't care
I like it

dharmicmel
sunday. 08 february 2009 ce

=/= 30 =/=

2009-02-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

the brave new world is becoming a lot more real in its implications, and there is a lot more of it in our world, and in terms of what is coming; and yet, I feel that it is barely imagined, in reference to what is in the works, especially with regards to emerging technologies, accelerating change, and exponential growth and development; the brave new world just becomes braver and braver

are we up for it < ? >
even more, will we be up to it < ? >

no one knows for sure, except to say, that the brave new world has many new versions, and keeps coming

dharmicmel
saturday. 07 february 2009 ce

=/= 29 =/=

2009-02-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

the apocalyptic imagination consists of the will, the desire, the vision for deep, radical, and fundamental change, both in circumstances and conditions, and in the state of consciousness manifested; it comes from an inner sense of knowing, something that says this is not it, this is not the endgame, and that, for all intents and purposes, evovling self-awareness has only begun the process of conscious evolution; the understanding of this perception can come from many sources, and is not limited to only one way or thinking, one religion, or one worldview; no school of thought, and no worldview can make a claim to being the most advanced of them all, because, what evolves in this world, is and will be, far more than what we think or imagine; crossing over into the apocalyptic imagination will leave one world behind, and enter into the next completely transformed; it is not possible to explain what that might be, except in a very broad sense, and once it is understood or achieved, it would not be possible to dumb it down enough to explain it to sentient beings not yet ready for the transformation; this must sound familiar, because in many ways, especially with radically increased intelligence, and a radically empowering technology for embodiment, transhumanists are saying similar things; of course, they are not saying they are a religion, but rather, that they are going to be participants in a conscious, directed evolution, physically, and psychoemotionally; the difference here, is that a sense of spiritual being and becoming is included, and it too will advance beyond anything presently understood; that the spiritual is being used in reference to the apocalyptic imagination does not mean to imply that somehow it is superior to transhumanism, or anything else for that matter; all paths are part of a cosmic spectrum, elements of different ways and means, to expand and progress in many different ways

examples of the apocalyptic imagination include the Christian rapture, the new heaven and the new earth, the body of light fully realized, conscious ascension, shapeshift and transformation of -- function and form, presence, ego, and body -- the enlightenment of the godhead, and post-humanism, when self-awareness is of a non-biological embodiment, or what is more specifically referred to as uploading, mind uploading, or full brain emulation, to name but a few examples regarding the possibilities and potentials of the apocalyptic imagination; specifically, the post-human embodiment indicates, at some point, the transcendence, or going beyond, earth, physical embodiment, and doing so completely; the apolyptic imagination is the literal end of one state of being and becoming and the beginning of a new, and higher, more evolved state of being and becoming; the central metastatement/suggestion relative to the internalization/actualization of the apocalyptic imagination is the literal end of human history with the subsequent beginning, or entering into, of something entirely different, which, in potential and theory, can and will manifest in a multiplicity of ways; a radical worldview, that by extension, informs the presence of self-awareness

it should be noted that many major world religions have always indicated that earth-based flesh and blood is not the existential endgame, and that sooner or later, each individual would eventually move on to something else in the afterlife, something far and away removed from the original earth biology; such thinking reflects the apocalyptic imagination, but does not, in my view, represent a picture of totality, or of authentic being and becoming, simply because I think the whole thing is always progressive, never-ending, and open-ended

as a suggestion for evolving self-awareness, the apocalyptic imagination is the conscious desire to internalize a deep, serious visionquest for transcendence, on an order of magnitude suggestive of such things as true/actualized sovereign being, infinite headspace, and realized inner totality, to name but a few references that only hint at the awesome, open-ended possibilities of potential and totality, as being and becoming in perpetua; the thinking/studying in reference to the apocalyptic imagination, from my point of view, is concerned with that of forward metaphors; forward metaphors refer to mind states, evolving consciousness, and empowerments that presently go beyond the norm, but that are assumed to be something that will eventually lead to higher states of being and becoming; the work/practice of the apocalyptic imagination is to assume that the internalization of higher states is possible, and then to make it happen, make it so; I think that people are getting very serious about different kinds of transformation and transcendence, new fields of knowledge are emerging while other fields are converging, and the intention to transform and transcend is increasing, even if it isn’t a news item on CNN; I say that because what is under the hood is seriously changing, but it can’t be seen by those looking elsewhere, and it can’t be experienced by everyone, because not everyone is going one way, involved in the same thing, as it were; neither is everyone exercising similar ways and means; thus, the apocalyptic imagination is a reference to a conscious participation in evolutionary awareness, and evolutionary growth and development, in many different ways

when I say forward metaphors as that which can be used to manifest the apocalyptic imagination, I do not mean to imply it is superior or the only pathway; it is, I believe, one of many; the potential of totality as we might understand it, is but a fraction of the tip of the iceberg; there must be countless ways to achieve higher states of being and becoming, and this process could go on and on for lenghts of time unimaginable to present human mind

dharmicmel
saturday. 07 february 2009 ce

=/= 28 =/=

2009-02-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

dharmicmel
friday. 06 february 2009 ce

=/= 27 =/=

2009-02-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

re: practice and the path

strength for strength, state for state
eliminating what is not needed, and strengthening the things that remain; then, taking what remains, evaluating it, and eliminating what is not needed, and strengthening what remains; so one is constantly aware of one's presence in the scheme of things, and taking stock of things, and sizing down, as it were, while at the same time, focusing on what is needed, or good for one's path; always, and in all ways

one other thing: the path is not one size fits all; it is multi-faceted and not by the numbers, or by someone else's will; that is why there are so many ways to work the path; it becomes personal truth and authentic being, as determined by no one but the individual; it's free choice, and self-determination, which many on the path know, can be a really difficult struggle, at least until the effects of weeding out and strengthening take place; then, I think, all things are possible

oh yeah, one more thing: never to forget to smell the flowers along the way; and if that happens to be a woman's pussy that smells like fresh peaches, and you don't allow yourself to be led around by the nose because of your sexual desires, and you don’t think with your dick, then god is great

this piece was inspired by mike lyle; many thanx to the pathworker

dharmicmel
friday. 06 february 2009 ce

=/= 26 =/=

2009-02-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

google has a page with the top 100 search words; it is updated daily, maybe even more; I find it interesting because, in a way, it is a doorway into the collective mind

warning: what is in the collective mind -- sometimes an oxymoron -- is not always good, and definately demonstrates the norm plodding of the consensus agreement and status quo

http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends

=/= 25 =/=

2009-02-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

the State of Washington has submitted a bill, HJM 4009 - 2009-10, declaring, not asking for, state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution; other states have done similar things, including New Hampshire, Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Hawaii; the declaration was sent to President Obama, among others

I am assuming that the people, and the states, have had enough of the heavy-handed rule and incursion into the rights of citizens, rights as declared by the United States Constitution

right on < ! >

thanx to mike lyle for bringing my awareness to this matter

dharmicmel
friday. 06 february 2009 ce

=/= 24 =/=

2009-02-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

re: today's agenda

action item for the day: suggestive dancing
yes ! yes ! yes !

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 23 =/=

2009-02-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

"Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead." -- Kyle Reese [The Terminator].

As quoted by George Dvorsky in quote of the week, in his blog, Sentient Developments.

sometimes I am inclined to think that our science fiction films are products of an over-active imagination, and a tendency towards doom and gloom; they are just entertainment, just what a lot of people say; robots and machines, taking over the world, is absurd, and impossible; as well, I believe we put way to much stock in films as being explicators for what is real, and for what we think

sometimes; because reality, as it is, is fast catching up with some of the darkest projections that film, and literature, have ever offered; in this sense, they become a mirror, for what we think, and for how we feel about things, sometimes at the deepest levels of the subconscious

we are not presently engulfed in the terminator scenario, as suggested in the above quote; but, how far away are we?

I consider the terminator scenario -- in which the machine rises, takes control, and eliminates the human race -- as being very possible, as possible as anything else that we consider for the future, such as apocalyptic climate change, radical resource depletion, the decline of civilization, wars and rumors of war, man’s incessant inhumanity to man, and gray goo

I do not say that I think that humanity will enter into the end of days per the terminator scenario, only that it is very much a possibility

we are plagued by man’s inhumanity to man; we are also plagued by the very existence of the military, as well as all forms of physical violence that men use against each other; we are using science and technology to further both of these plagues, thinking all the while that robotic applications for the military are just part of the game; it is a very sick and very dangerous game, and it could destroy everything that might, in the future, become a wonderful mindgarden for mindkind

much is being said, and has been said, about the possible negative applications of science and technology; there is more of it than can be digested, and it is one consideration, among many, that people feel they must think about, and decide what to do; but what is said, what is considered is one thing; what is being done, and will be done, is something else

I can offer no concrete or absolute ideas or solutions that might overcome, eliminate, or make impossible the terminator scenario, and especially, a resultant end of days for all life on this planet; it is like so many things: I can think about something, see it in many different ways, but feel almost helpless as to actually know what to do; I can only hope that other possibilities will come into play, and that we will make it through or beyond the terminator scenario, and prevail in terms of the greater human estate, or transhumanist estate; but truthfully, hope seems weak, in comparison to what might be done

the terminator scenario has the talk, and is increasingly working on the walk

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 22 =/=

2009-02-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

I have always thought, or more correctly, assumed that the soul is eternal, that it was before time, will be after time, and is basically of a transcendental nature; I have thought that the soul, like the void, has existed without the usual mechanics of creating something; I have further assumed that the soul is actually a very small part of human embodiment, in that it is partially connected to the pineal gland, but that there is no direct knowing or experience of it in the physical world or in physical embodiment; thinking like this means that it would not matter if there is a soul or not in regards to machine existence, so we can all upload and not worry about that :)

thinking about the pineal gland, it should be noted that it is more or less atrophied in most adults; this might explain why little of the soul reflects into the human body; of course, this almost begs the question, because why would the soul be centered somewhere where there is little chance of manifest representation?; unless of course, the reference is that of relative to the pineal gland, being of a more ethereal character and quality; needless to say, such thinking is based entirely on presumptions for which I can offer no further references; plus, I suspect, if ever so slightly, that such arguments are very convenient for the more enlightened among us, as well as those with direct pipelines to the spirit of the most high, to explain something in a way that most of us cannot access, or do not access in our mundane lives

there is the thinking about machine intelligence, and the possibility of a soul therein; many folks think a machine intelligence would have no soul; I presume such thinking is based on biochauvenism, that somehow, without knowing why or presenting any kind of evidence, the soul, which was created by God, can only exist in biological bodies, i.e. human bodies; I presume therefore that robots and androids would have no souls; and what about cyborgs, especially as humans become more machine than human?; as a human becomes cyborgized, and if said human actually becomes more machine than human, would that mean that the cyborg would no longer have a soul?; if I am correct in my assumptions, human beings actually have very little soul in themselves; soul or not, if a being is sentient, then that is what is important; the existence or non-existence of the soul would be something to argue about in theology, philosophy, and certain metaphysical circles; soul or no soul, it should not be held against a sentient entity

in actuality, most of my thinking about the soul is based on assumptions; my actual knowledge and/or experience of it is, I would assume, next to nothing, unless there is something my “higher self” is not telling me right now; in other words, I am wondering if there must be some level of being in which there is a more conscious connection to whatever it is that might be referred to as the soul; I would say that due to the glaring lack of a primary spiritual presence on this planet, the soul itself does not seem to be functioning here, in the present human form; and further, and this is only speculation on my part, but perhaps that is why religion is in place, as it has becomes a very watered-down representation of the soul, perhaps even a dull memory of something all but forgotten now

the fact of the matter is that I don't even know how to define the word soul, except in the most general of terms, and that is usually a religious or possibly metaphysical reference; it seems to me that the word itself is bandied around a lot, and that a lot of assumptions are made about it, with little or no thought as to what is meant, or anything associated with its content; I have no proof one way or the other as to its existence - - meaning, nothing that satisfies my mind; I don't loose any sleep over the matter, either

I prefer to keep an open mind on the subject; I would always be open to information about the subject of the soul that is not dogmatic, non-judgemental -- hey, I am a seeker who asks questions < ! > -- or proselytizing

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 21 =/=

2009-02-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

the ultimate explanation -- metaphysical, existential, and/or tecno-scientific -- once again hits ground zero, abruptly disappearing into another existential black hole; knowledge and enlightenment are thin veils for the rush of fevered psychoemotional apocalypticism; and why is it that so many among us who become enlightened -- or so they think/believe, or so they say -- develop such huge EGOS and an almost overwhelming messiah complex?

as always, the deeper realities behind the surface veils of consensus agreement are image obsessed, as thin as shadows and heavy as psychoemotionally dysfunctional ego; still, the Buddha smiles, the sun shines, and the clear light is here, there, and everywhere in this perpetual matrix of smoke and mirrors, samsarically flavored/tempered, of course

better to shelve the ultimate explanations, and all that comes with that territory, and focus more on personal truth and authentic being, as much as we are capable of

dharmicmel. thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 20 =/=

2009-02-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

namaste, from the sanskrit, a salutation meaning that I respect that divinity within you that is also within me

respecting the divinity within means that we acknowledge something that goes for making the individual more whole and complete; it requires no dogmatic beliefs or practices; it makes no judgements or condemnations; it is an expression of inner light, something for each and every person

I am thinking that if we were to go far enough with this, we could go a long way towards eliminating most of the things that are negative in our lives; I say this because I think that if we were to incorporate a deep recognition of the other as being something that is high and holy, we would think and do a lot differently, and we would certainly treat people differently, and better; we would also value the dignity and worth of all others, and fear none, which is the way it should be

it becomes incumbent upon the individual to practice and express such attitudes, to internalize these things, and to express the spirit of the word, even if others do not, and even if others have a very different attitude; it is not an off-and-on thing, although I realize that to make it a part of one’s being, the work of it, the practice of it, is not always the flow of things, or easy to do; part of what the word represents is an attitude and influence, but most of the word is what the individual makes it to be, of an internalization, that if sufficiently internalized, goes beyond the word itself

of course, it is something that must be recognized in the moment, something heartfelt, and it cannot slip into mechanical ritual; in other words, it has to be the real thing, made real, by the individual; there is a great deal of confusion and opinion about what the real thing actually is, especially in a samsaric world; internalizing the essence of the word is by no stretch of the imagination an easy thing in a world such as the present, because prevailing attitudes are strongly for Me, Myself, and I, which is far from all-inclusive; never the less, it is not a hopeless or impossible thing either

embodying the expression of namaste in this world does not make of it a magic wand; it does not mean that you are a spiritual practitioner, and therefore, everything will be easier for you than others; it is, because of its human embodiement, everything that is in this world; what makes it transcend the values of the status quo and consensus agreement, is that it makes for a higher state of being and becoming in this world, and thus, this world can be changed into something better -- for everyone

at the very least, it would make us better people, and increase the value, worth, and dignity of people; that alone makes it a worthwhile and wonderful thing

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 19 =/=

2009-02-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

naked green
the earth, before we arrived
the earth after we are gone
and then, the magick of the higher Mother

we will not be insignificant, we will not be history
we will be soulfire, starfire
through the eye illuminated
elsewhere, otherness
as neither earth, ego, or biology is the last word

dharmicmel
thursday. 05 february 2009 ce

=/= 18 =/=

2009-02-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

short note from my bio:

former ascended master
presently descended adeptus corruptus illuminatus, tribe of the mainstream circus; hey, someone has to work the dregs of the trenches, now and then
and proud to announce that I have over 10,000 parallel universes in my personal collection of past/present/future artifacts; see my black-box vault, assignment references: cosmic cube
disclaimer: the multiverse(s) is/are just a figment of an over-active samsaric imagination

just thought you might like to know .....

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 february 2009 ce

=/= 17 =/=

2009-02-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

* * * a manifesto for Me, Myself, and I * * *

this we hold to be true and self-evident, and forever in perpetua:

1. that with regards to the general scheme of things, it is Me, Myself, and I that are first, last, and with no other considerations in between; there shall be no other images before Me, Myself, and I; we are true believers; we hold no other gods before us

2. increasingly, consumption in mass quantitites; especially food; eat and be fat; it’s the new world order; and don't worry; if you become too fat and out of shape, the robots will do all the work and the transhumanists will invent nano-scrubbers to periodically clean you out; it's all good, it's all love

3. increasingly, entertainment, and more entertainment; beyond that, more entertainment

4. focus of attention on things meant to entertain; no thinking about those things that might affect us, influence the present and future, and affect the children to come; don't go lame, into all that new age mush; stay focused: consume and be entertained

5. ego is everything; extreme ego is the holy grail of existence

6. don’t question things and don’t worry; we -- me, myself, and I -- are to go on about things as normal; the authorities, and all associates, such as pundits, overlords, politicans, shakers and movers, and celebrity personalities, will take care of everything; it’s the new normal; and don’t be concerned about elections and politicians; the beat always goes on, no matter surface appearances

7. while extreme sports are the current fad in the intellectualism of the norm, nothing is as extreme as Me, Myself, and I; also, extreme sports will continue to become more extreme as time goes by; some by virtue of extreme ego, but a lot by virtue of evolving technologies, which Me, Myself, and I will purchase; social ramificiations?: don't be boring < ! >

8. it is self-evident that we are entitled to anything we want, at any time; God created earth for me, myself, and I

9. all resources are for immediate gratification; the future will take care of itself; the future, and the children of the future, are of no concern to Me, Myself, and I

10. moderation is for naval-gazers, back-to-the- earth freaks, neo-hippies, do-gooders, Buddhist/Zen types, and bleeding hearts; besides, we are entitled, and that counts for everything; see number 8

11. the environment will take care of itself; why worry?; stay focused: consume and be entertained; we have more important things for Me, Myself, and I to be concerned with, like new and more ways to consume and be entertained; thank God for transhumanism

12. Me, Myself, and I
that’s all and everything
it's so 21st-century
it’s so 3rd millennium
it's so Me, Myself, and I

13. and finally, I could, as a public service, remind everyone to have frequent reality checks, so as to keep their focus; but actually, that won’t be necessary; there is only one reality anyway, and that is Me, Myself, and I; and besides, it’s the only focus going

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 february 2009 ce

=/= 16 =/=

2009-02-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

and then, something happened
there I was, on the edge, night brooding; I do this a lot
but this was something I had been anticipating
an image reconstruction in process, in every 17th moment

this was like desire at the cutting edge
without food or water, i.e.
personal truth
authentic being
with no commercials, and no own it today
just, 17 .....
an echo for the godhead
and echo for an echo for an echo .....

I found out, in all of this
that I was a friendly critic to me, myself, and I
a great relief, I can tell you
it’s all good now
out of the blue, and into the black

it feels like the body cosmic
hit the prayer bunker in time
to take the subjective limbo
into the music of the silences

henceforth, and retroactively too
a poet’s manifesto
because every 17th moment builds
and builds; inside/outside, magickal blends
turning the end of days inside-out
just this side of the edge
and just minutes before midnight
a rose, a rose
for the apocalyptic imagination

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 february 2009 ce

=/= 15 =/=

2009-02-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

I could tell you
about this thing, but
you would not believe me
this thing
that sets my senses on fire
that refuses, this thing
to respect the boundaries, to stay clear of the lotus of my being

playing games, like media manipulation and distortion
instructions for hunger in the eyes
but mostly, the plethora of things within the greater existential lie

sometimes, it is like samsaric meltdown
a thousand points of light
gone nuclear

I echo an ongoing discordia
and still, this thing is only words for words
as you are close, and yet so distanced
this thing
a wildfire crossing the tundras where my soul runs, runs, and runs
I could tell you things
that would make ground zero seem like a garden picnic
not now, but someday
when the blood of your subconscious
runs freely into the heart of free spirit
I will then tell you about this thing

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 january 2009 ce

=/= 14 =/=

2009-02-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

America, and Americans, were subjected, for eight long years, to the chicanery of the bush/chaney gang; while the President of the US of A was officially George W. Bush, in reality, the President of the US of A was Dick Chaney, and the vice president was Carl Rove; in my view, it was the worst presidency ever; mostly, Bush was out to lunch, while his advisors were busy trashing the American Constitution, waging war, further advancing the conservative, fundamentalist agenda, and downgrading the American people as much as possible, including ending their administration with the debacle of people losing their homes, a plethora of job cuts that is going on to this day, corrupting American values with the shame of torture -- recall that C. Rice, on television, could not define torture -- and corrupting American values further with prisons in other lands where the torturers could have their way, inflicting the policty of indefinate detainment of anyone they so desire, without due Constitutional process, with two war fronts where American soldiers are dying and being maimed, and a global recession, if not depression; as politicians, they completely failed the American people; as a sidebar, let me make it completely clear: no human being, anywhere, under any circumstances, should ever be tortured for any reason, by anyone or any goverment, or government agency; this is by far one of the worst legacies of the bush/chaney gang

of course, conservatives and Republicans feel otherwise, but as far as I am concerned, they have no real feeling for the people, or even America, because they want to remake everything in their image, which is very, very bad; I think Republicans are already -- wednesday. 04 february 2009 ce -- doing everything they can to oppose President Obama, just like they did everything that could to oppose President Clinton; the Republicans feel that they, and only they, are capable of ruling/dominating America; yes, ruling and dominating is exactly what they want; I feel that the conservative/Republican agenda will not stop until they make abortion illegal in all fifty states, shove their God and their religion down everyone’s throat, assert an ever-dominant military role in the world, wage endless wars, and completely revamp the Constitution of the United States in their favor, while all the while pretending to promote freedom and democracy here at home, even though it is clear that they want to establish a Republican, right wing, religiously fanatical dictatorship

talking about the Republican agenda may not seem like talking about the bush/chaney gang, but in fact it is, because what is happening right now is that the Republicans are regrouping and continuing to work on their agenda, of which, the bush/chaney administration made enormous strides

of course, nothing is written in stone; we can only hope that President Obama can make significant strides in advancing the quality of life for all Americans, which is really what politics is all about; it is just that many politiicans have never come to terms with that understanding; President Obama wants to try, but I think the conservative/Republicans want their own agenda, including domination and control; after all, quality of life for all does not compute with them; further, if people of good will do not take a stand, and maintain their position against any and all tyrannies imposed upon the mind and spirit of human beings, one for freedom and the quality of life for everyone, then we will most certainly reap something that will be the end of the America that is free and caring about its people; then, the red, white, and blue will no longer wave, and instead, it will be a black flag, and an end to the American experiment

the affects of the worst presidency ever, the bush/chaney gang, are going to be felt for a long, long time; the beat goes on, as it always does

references:

Sinclair Lewis. It Can't Happen Here.

=/= 13 =/=

2009-02-04T07:34:00.001-08:00

Glo-Fluffy-cat in the front yard
just visiting

dharmicmel
wednesday. 04 february 2009 ce

=/= 12 =/=

2009-02-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

I have often stated that when I croak, the less the better, in terms of anything that goes with the territory; I would prefer the flowers now, and the references now, etc., etc, and especially money, lots of it, in small bills; also, getting laid would be nice, since when I’m laying their dead, with everyone bawling their eyes out, and the women are still salivating over me like they always have, I won’t be able to give them a hard time

of course, when one kicks the bucket, there really isn’t anything to be done about what happens afterwords; I guess I should take this opportunity to apologize to anyone that has to clean up the mess; don’t blame me -- I didn’t design these bodies or engineer the transition process; it must be part of God’s mysterious plan

if it turns out that someone is silly enough to actually bury my corpse in the ground and put a gravestone in place, then I request that the following epitah, which is something that came from the adept, George Carlin; the following will be shorthand for letting one and all know just exactly what my sentiments are:

fuck you
fuck you, and everyone that looks like you

at the top of the gravestone:
here lies the physical remains, which are decomposing, or have already decomposed, of mostly junk melvin; don’t you feel silly talking to an inanimate object?; fuck him, and everyone that looks like him

I am not into any of this burial ritual; I would prefer that my body be put into a bag and then put into the dumpster; and then, forget about it, and move on to better things, like sit-coms, football, and copious amounts of beer and fast food

however, knowing what I do about human nature, I am sure someone in my orbit will go against my wishes, as they must know what is best for me, better than I would; so, if I am buried, then I would like for whoever gathers -- no doubt thousands and thousands -- to party on my grave; I want them to dance and drink wine and beer; no hard liquor; the noble weed would be acceptable; all other drugs -- nay; I want everyone to feel free to cuss all they want, and it would be nice if they revile me; I would like that; I want only death metal played, especially the cover album of Judas Priest, which was done by death metal artists; afterwords, when people leave, they can show their respect by pissing on my grave; no dumps, please; barfing would be okay, as I realize that folks gotta do what they gotta do; and please, everyone, before you leave -- assess and elbows, i.e, clean up the litter; besides, that is one good way to be circumspect about checking out everyone’s assess; see -- I did gain one good thing from my military experience; I would swear that those drill seargents were clean-and-control freaks to the max; anyway, always respect the environment; and, perhaps, someone would be kind enough to film this, and make it a you-tube thing for the net

I would put something on the tombstone, something like catch you downstream, but actually that would not apply, as I can’t stand 99.9% of the human race; I like alannah-honey-baby, and some women, if they put out and then hit the road, but that is about it; some of the people in my orbit are okay, and some are definately NOT

also, it should be noted, that George Carlin wanted to die by spontaneously exploding in someone’s living room; ditto for me; you go over to someone’s house just as you always do; you hang out, talk, eat their food, drink their beer, pat their atrocious brats on the head, or on the ass, if they are cute, undress the old lady with your eyes while making obscene gestures with your tongue -- a REAL man, I Am -- and if possible, cause trouble; then, without warning, you suddenly explode; reminds me of the scene in Scanners when the guy’s head blew up; the whole thing sounds so wonderful, and so deliciously unexpected; I mean people would be talking about that one .....

having said all of the above, I cannot escape the feeling that something else will happen; since I endured Nam -- and even got an honorable discharge to go with it -- someone in my orbit will defy my deepest wishes and have me buried with full military honors; fuck!; that happened to someone I used to know, who felt like I do, and I know because we discussed it many times; I bet he is rolling in his grave over that one; oh wait, he probably went to heaven, with all that he put up with here; he’s probably blissed out now playing a harp and sitting on a cloud -- forever; he’s got the transhumanists expectations all beat to hell

dharmicmel
tuesday. 03 february 2009 ce

=/= 11 =/=

2009-02-02T20:48:00.001-08:00

strength for strength, state for state

dharmicmel. monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 10 =/=

2009-02-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

re: dangerous visions

concepts, imaginings, speculations, and forward metaphors that transcend the limiting parameters of the orthdox establishment or mainframe consensus agreement; ideas and speculations that go beyond the norm, and that challenge attitudes, assumptions, and expectations; sometimes referred to as the outer edges of the avante guarde, mind granades, and impossible possibilities; inspired by the sci-fi anthologies edited by Harlan Ellison

some examples of dangerous visions include:

=/= parapsychology, which might bring forth things about the mind and its relationship to what is hidden and concealed, not so much by design, but because we tend to edit things out that rationalism deems unworthy, or that our worldviews will not accomodate; because it is assumed that rationalism is not the only game in town, and assumed that our worldviews are far from complete or developed, parapsychology as a whole should be seriously considered; there should always be a place for the unorthodox in the scheme of things, if for no other reason than what is generally assumed may not be entirely correct or hold all things accountable; my personal view is that if we were to go deep enough into parapsychology and the parnormal, we might find out things about the subjective mysterium which could shed an entirely different light on being and becoming

=/= the outer limits, the edge of thinking as might possibly be applied in scientific and technological terms, such as self-aware artificial intelligence, the cyborgization of the human being, and mind in the ascendency; what seems far away now, will become, in accelerating rates of time manifestion, much closer than ever thought before; the outer limits, the edge are much closer to the bone than most realize; as perceptions change, this assumption will become more and more obvious

=/= internalized magickal states of being and becoming; an individual has to be there, in the dance of it, to make it happen and to make it so; only conscious participation in magick will yield any results and/or understanding, especially that of the subjective nature of evolving self-awareness; internalized magickal states might, at present, be mostly for those who are free spirits in this world, minus, of course, the usual associated chaos and excess baggage that so often comes with the focus of self-awareness

=/= a worldview, or worldviews informed by the apocalyptic, metaphysical, and transcendental imagination; said worldsviews would also include such things as the illumination of the human ego, the end of physical/material embodiment and the conscious beginning of the full realization of the body of light, which would include transcendental being and becoming

=/= existential and psychoemotional transformations sufficient such that there would be an end to economic indentured servitude and the emergence of the full and complete incorporation of humanity and earth in full partnership and association of and with resources and possibilities, which means, among other things, the elimination of selfish competition and the corporate state of doing things along with the redefining and reinventing of the present work ethic, something which would transcend the present ideas and slavery of such; I am thinking here of the end of work as a ways and means for the selfish elite to dominate and control, as a ways and means for the “masses” to struggle and get by, and the beginning of a universal understanding that the great work is what we, as individuals and groups should be doing, i.e., the great work of coming to terms with who and what we are, and of that of evolving self-awareness; there is no greater or more important work than that of evolving consciousness; the focus of work should be that of the great dharma; if so, sooner or later, the mindgarden would become manifest, and then we would really start to grow and develop, as well as have an infinitely better appreciation and contemplation of presence in the scheme of things

=/= in general terms, a perpetual ecstasy of being and becoming incorporating physicality, materiality, and otherness; open source, and wide open; an ongoing wonderment in terms of potential and totality, and the higher spirituality of these things

=/= the uploading of the human state of being into a machine interface or the equivalent thereof, which would then be just the beginning of evolutions and transformations of embodiment and relationships to sentient beings and the universe itself; there seems to be endless possibilities, and impossible possibilities for those who would like to explore the outer reaches of the brave new world; definately not for the timid or for those who think the present worldviews and beliefs are sufficient; it is my view that this particular application of science and technology is representative of what is meant by dangerous visions to a degree that is not possible to fathom here, but only sense the broader outlines

=/= the spiritualization of consciousness into sovereing being and the radical transformation of the human estate

=/= earth civilization, in totality, completely transformed by nanotechnology, with the overriding sense of all-inclusiveness for one and all, which would require not only a technological evolution but also a psychoemotional revolution; a superabundent materialism, a supercharged body of energy and vitality that could be maintained, at least in theory, indefinately, the end of old age and disease and the beginning of age as a self-determined standard, if it is represented in a physical body such as we are familiar with, in perpetua, and a universal common good would also accompany the above; the foregoing is indeed a dangerous vision, because human beings have never manifested a material, universal super abundance before, and they have never manifested a world that is all-inclusive, one in which people work together, for each other, and with each other to manifest a common good in all-inclusiveness, one that is for the individual, and for a society of individuals that come before the State, the Corporation, Politics, Money, the Status Quo, the Consensus Agreement, the Elite, and the New World Order; as such, it is a radical dangerous vision, and one that I would love to see come into manifestation, the sooner the better

=/= any number of scenarios or suggestions that would radically demonstrate the transformations of the human experience, and state of being, as well as possibilities for the continuing evolution of humankind -- and whatever humankind progressively morphs into -- as well as possibilities, and impossible possibilities for the evolutionary advance of the individual, which would include as many schools of thought as possible

whether or not dangerous visions are considered to be desirable, or even how they could, or should be materialized, is an open question; dangerous visions should be considered, thought about, and discussed in a reasonable manner; they should be taken seriously, because more and more, they will be a significant part of the shape of things to come; not all dangerous visions are desirable or agreeable, because there is always the human element involved, which of course influences all outcomes, and often in the negative; there is always the element of surprise and unknowns that should be taken into account, because the world we live in is always full of the unexpected and of surprise, despite the best intentions and the clearest thinking; as well, we are advised that just because we can do something does not mean that we should; more time, more patience, and more serious and reasoned consideration, from all quarters should apply

all dangerous visions are pointers in different directions, alternate suggestions, and possibilities otherwise ignored by the mainstream; as such, they should be taken with many grains of salt, because there is always the tendency of the human imagination getting ahead of itself; on the other hand, and this seems slightly paradoxical, it is the human imagination that is the matrix for what constitutes all things that make for dangerous visions, and which, therefore, is indispensible

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 9 =/=

2009-02-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

it’s not commanding heights that I am interested in at all; that is the old way, that is so 20th century, the province of baseline humans and the treadmill of the norm; it is the intoxication of the status quo; but there are those among us, increasing in numbers, and synergies of mind and heart, that are detoxing, that are going beyond the 20th century, in fact, going beyond the accepted norms, and who are beginning to embrace the naked densities of the mindgarden

it is the human estate that interests me, in all of its lush totality, presence, and possibilities; in particular, the possibilities for the 21st century echo a free state, for each and every human, something that portends sovereign being; the flutes of materialism, as we know them, are no longer being listened to the way they used to be; in times to come, they will be of academic interest only, if that

embodiment, for evolving worlds, for focused intention is the opening up to new horizons, to such new and wonderful possibilities that they must now be referred to as impossible possibilities; the tip of the iceberg hints at the future fantastic

burning the midnight fire, something for a fire in the mind, something for the imagination in the fire; this is something for transformations and illuminations, not just as some kind of speculation, but as echo of mind and depth of sigh, as something for the turning of the pages

it is time to let go of the dead weight of the past, and time to move on into the magnificent light of what is coming to be

bring your hearts, your minds, and your imaginations to the party; this is going to be the best one ever, and it is going to go on for a very long time; and best of all, it will be so loud, that you will only hear the thunder in the silence

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 8 =/=

2009-02-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

a proud Russett cat, Photographer: Daniel Guffanti
FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

re: cats

beautiful, but alien beings, echoing presence

magickal, too, and something for occult crossover -- most of which is undefined and uninternalized, but nevertheless, there is a potential

and too, a thing for parallel processing, especially if the physical side is examined; maybe this is a little strange here, but then there is always a quality about the presence of a cat(s) that echoes that feeling of strangeness, that feeling of something else; could be it's just me, echoing my own echoes here

it is my personal assumption that there is a greater mystery to the presence of cats, one that I can never put my conceptual-finger on, as it were; maybe it is just me, and my imagination, or maybe, me and my imagination, along with others, is echo to mystery and mysterium, as though it were integral to things, especially in the face of such an objective world of finances, materialism, high-tech, and extreme self-centeredness; certainly there are a lot of cat-lovers in this country, and certainly there is an ongoing fascination with them, and a certain pleasure in their presence, and I go along with that, but there is also something else, something more

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 7 =/=

2009-02-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

re: beautiful women

* the ache for human interface
* surprise and high fever
* endless visions of communion
* longing and the existential core
* eros and the ecstasy of days
* always interpreting the interpretation
* vulgar charms and rock 'n' roll
* mystery, always the mystery
* emotional chains

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 6 =/=

2009-02-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

over and over again, I see in the literature regarding the singularity and associated subject matter, references to projected time for development; there is generally speaking, a very wide opinion on when what is going to happen, and what will or will not happen; specifically, while many think that many applications and developments will happen, such as nanotechnology and machine intelligence, they don’t think it is going to be any time soon, as projected by others, say anywhere in the next 20 -- to 40 years; they state that the subject matter is very complex, over many fields, and that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done; but what about Kurzweil’s projections that because of acclerating change, there will be something like 20,000 years of progress in just the 21st century?; this assumption does not seem fantastical or impossible to me at all; in fact, it seems quite logical to me, taking into account the advances that are occuring on a daily basis, and how these things will amplify and increase as time goes by; I am thinking about how we are going to keep up with this tremendous advance in application and knowledge, and how this is going to be integrated into the scheme of things; seems like anything can and will happen; I keep wondering why scientists are generally ignoring or not accepting accelerating change

dharmicmel
monday. 06 february 2009 ce

=/= 5 =/=

2009-02-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

third eye dharma, most generally speaking, is that of the great work of evolving higher and deeper states of consciousness; third eye dharma also involves an ongoing study, appreciation, and contemplation regarding the mysteries of existence, and of being and becoming; it can also be said to refer to good works, for a good day, which is widely open to individual interpretation and subject to circumstances and conditions

“3rd eye” is a reference for a spiritually informed visionquest, intended to put substance, weight, and motion into the internalization/actualization of forward metaphors and impossible possibilities related to higher states of consciousness; the spiritually informed visionquest also utilizes mind, body, and spirit as a greater dance of being and becoming, thus incorporating advances in all fields of human inquiry, as seen fit to the individual evolution of consciousness

all aspects of a 3rd eye dharma are individually focused and determined with overriding references to personal truth and authentic being; personal truth and authentic being go to the very essence of what 3rd eye dharma is about, because they are the heart and soul of the visionquest; personal truth and authentic being cannot be determined by an outside source, no matter how enlightened, advanced or evolved they may seem to be or claim to be; one thing that is central to a 3rd eye dharma is self-determination and self-authentication, which cannot be surrendered to any outside authority

it is no longer deemed necessary or even desirable to surrender one’s mind, spirit, and free will to any outside authority figure in order to validate or determine one’s dharmic path or experience; in particular, gurus, self-proclaimed masters and enlightened beings, and those with a Messiah complex are highly suspect as regards motive and intention, and should be approached, if at all, with a questioning attitude, with that attitude being one of a friendly skepticism and the desire for a free exchange of thoughts, ideas, and information; asking questions should be openly tolerated and always encouraged; the same goes for disagreement, i.e., we will agree to disagree

self-determination is a key element of focus in a 3rd eye dharma; this is not to say that others on the path have nothing of value to say or offer, only that the seeker should always think for themselves, and always be free to do so; I recall a guru once saying that it is okay if you don’t understand everything as you can always come back to it later; I think he was right, because there is no sense trying to incorporate something in your life that you cannot wrap your head around when it comes to a spiritually informed visionquest; he also said that things are going to have to be adapted and integrated into the individual consciousness and experience, which I thought was an excellent suggestion; in this case, he made the point that one size does not fit all; this particular guru was also making a point about Eastern and Western ways, and he said that what is good for the Eastern body and constitution might not work at all for the Western body and constitution, and therefore would have to be adapted to make it work; I thought that was a very good observation

there are plenty of references on the Internet alone for the seeker who wants to know what gurus, self-proclaimed masters and enlightened beings, and those with a Messiah complex have to offer, after which one is free to make any decision with regards to any kind of association they may or may not desire; the suggestion here, one for a truer sense of a 3rd eye dharma, is for the seeker to be wary, and to be aware .....

of further note: going off to expensive seminars, retreats, and workshops is all very fine and well; if they are being offered/conducted by anyone claiming to be enlightened or who claims that they alone can take you to the promised land, then again, seeker, be wary, and seeker, think again, think three times or more about what you are thinking about doing; besides, there are plenty of new age devotees, who are either unwilling or incapable of thinking for themselves, but who are quite capable and willing to fill the coffers of the holier and more-evolved-than-thou, leaving the free and independent seeker to spend their money on other, and better things; on the other hand, hints, comments, and suggestions are always welcome, so long as they are conducted in a respectful manner, and so long as evereyone is free to express themselves, and in particular, free to question what is being offered or suggested, preferably with no ego or money strings attached; we have sugared this thing long enough

for 3rd eye dharma, the seeker is very much on her own, and the path is straight and narrow, although not straight and narrow as imposed by outside authority, but rather, by choice of self-discipline and self-determined focus, which begins to allow for the seeker to see the light of higher consciounsess where others will not venture, which in turn, begins to make all the difference in the world

above all, for anything regarding the visionquest of the seeker, think for yourself and make your own decisions

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 4 =/=

2009-02-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Mugsy-cat, the most handsome of them all
and, despite his good looks
he is one of the most evolved of them all
echo, feline mysterium
arc of the ancient gods

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 3 =/=

2009-02-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

in the course of writing, I wear many hats; I am interested in a lot of different things, and I have a lot of different views about these things; I frequently take different or opposing views; I edit, and re-edit as I deem necessary, or as I see fit; I consider certain subjects valid, or at least worthy of thought, that others automatically deny; what I thought a month, or years ago, might be substantially different than what I think today, as my thoughts, and my experiences, are always in flow; this does not mean that I cannot make up mind, but rather, that my mind is always making its way and things are always changing; better to try to fashion a mind that is moving, open, and free than to see things, or most things, as being written in stone

in many respects, what I am today, is not at all what I was yesterday; that is partly because I may have realized certain things and decided that they must be changed or written differently, or that what I was convinced of is not now what I am convinced of, and that things change when things evolve, including consciousness, thoughts, feelings, and experiences

I reserve the right to think freely and independtly, as I see fit; my thoughts are not subject to the approval or disapproval of others

with that being said, I welcome all who come with an open mind; I can only hope that we will agree to disagree

I will do my best not to rant and rave in these blogs, but that is not necessarily going to happen

and one more thing: if you are into skimming, rushing, hurrying, reading fast, little or no contemplating, my blog is not the place to be; better that you go elsewhere and try to smell the flowers along the way

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2009 ce

=/= 2 =/=

2009-02-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Michael Anissimov's blog, on uploading -- Accelerating Future. michael anissimov’s blog. “What are the Benefits of Mind Uploading?” Friday, Jan 30, 2009 -- was excellent; like so many of his blog entries, it is NOT dumbed down for mass consumption -- I hope he’s not laughing at this remark, because that will mean that I am dumber than I thought -- nor is it so technical that all I get from trying to read it is a headache; same-same for George Dvorksy's excellent blog, Sentient Devlopments.

uploading is a 21st century subject matter of singular interest and importance; it should be thought about a lot, and in depth, and its ramifications should be
seriously contemplated; it is, or something like it, the shape of things to come

as I recall, one of my first encounters with the subject was Grant Fjermedal's The Tomorrow Makers: A Brave New World of Living-Brain Machines. (NY: MacMillan
Publishing Company, 1986), as well as references in Omni magazine and science fiction magazines; I am of the boomer generation, and material like this electrified my mind, many, many moons ago; still does, even though I am now ancient; and, by the way, I still have a copy of the book; the subject was referred to as " ... speaking of how death could be defied, about how life could go on by creating computer copies of our minds and transferring, or downloading, [ it was not referred to as uploading then, and is an interesting insight into the thinking heirarchy in place at the time -- mfb ] this program into robotic bodies that need never die. And as the centuries passed, you could dedicate part of your endless time to searching out the very finest chassis builders and downloading your computerized self into the very latest in biological or mechanical artificial bodies." (page 4).

sounds great, doesn't it?; well, it depends on who you are talking to, because I think, from my experience, that there are lots of folks around who are actually repelled by the notion of uploading; it seems to go to the bone, as it were, and many among us do not want anything to do with it; the very idea of a different kind of intelligence, or mind, such as AI, embodied in a machine, just puts people off; copying the contents of the human brain, or uploading them into a non-biological embodiement is likewise taboo; you can imagine what various fantatics, such as fundamentalists, and many Christians and Islamics think, i.e., abomination; there's talk now of future cultural and social wars regarding uploading, because only biological intelligence embedded in a biological, human body is acceptable, and that within accepted parameters; talk about a wet blanket

there is another aspect about uploading that I think deserves consideration; when boomers were reading lots of science fiction, myself included, it was thought of as wonderful stuff; we could get the most extraordinary thinking about the most extraordinary things; then we could smoke a joint, drink some wine, and party at the hot springs, with lots of willing partiers, if you take my meaning; life was great; but I think there was a sense to it, that this stuff was grand and magnificent, even threatening and perilous, but that it was in the future, a future that we connected with intellectually, but not so much emotionally; it seemed far in the distance, and far removed from our experience; sure, someday, we would know some of these things, but not now; and even if we did, we would always be comfortable with the shape of things to come, and we would always have the upper hand with science, technology, and its applications; we were on top of the food chain, and always would be; and besides, we boomers were living in the most powerul and affluent nation in the world, and we felt protected and unaffected by many things going on in the world, including possible sci-fi considerations, applications, influences, and outcomes; of course, things are much different now, but my main point is that I think the future has rapidly caught up with us, as well as many parts of the world, for that matter, and in fact, the future is becoming increasingly uncomfortable, with a host of varieties and unknowns that are too variable and complex to get a significant hold of; at least, that is the feeling of it; a lot of people don't want to think of sci-fi scenarios as living, breathing realities; and yet, what is considered in transhumanism, and in particular, uploading and other subjects such as nanotechnology, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, is for all intents and purposes, right around the corner, and I think it is overwhelming for a lot of folks

I see Michael's blog on this subject as a peek into the future, and more specifically, the shape of things to come; the promise and potential is absolutely extraordinary, and it is certainly time to edit and re-edit the entire human experience, in as many ways as we can think of; it's way past time to move beyond the exclusively human experience of things, and move on into post-humanism, including uploading and possibly other forms of embodiment, and even include the possibilities for transcendence of consciousness into non-embodiment, which presently is referred to as a spiritual state of being and becoming; anyway you look at it, a time has come; the future is not going to be strictly human, in a human-centered universe like we think it is; rather, it is going to be very, very open-ended; in fact, open source, is going to take on vast new meanings, especially with uploading and its endless generations and versions of amplification, enhancement, in mind-boggling gateways into what can only be thought of now as impossible possibilities

if others are so inclined as to not participate in uploading, or other transhumanist considerations, they are entirely free to do so; let us hope that most politicians, most if not all military advocates, all civilization wreckers, including nihilists, terrorists, drug syndicates, torturers, all cigarette and cigar smokers, all Alpha Males, extreme fundamentalists, and all sit-com actors do in fact decline to upload, as we will not need any of that dead weight; this means, among other things, that along the way, on the path to transhumanist paradise, we are going to have to take special efforts to insure that we don't trash the earth, overpopulate it with baselines or biotechnologically enhanced human beings who are not sufficiently aware, committed and focused, or empowered enough to deal with it, or end it with war or some horrendous mass extinction; especially, we are going to have to address, and do something about the many things that comprise man's inhumanity to man, and we are going to have to edit and re-edit many of the negative psychoemotional aspects of being human; post-human, earth humanisms, extened and amplifed, I am thinking, must be about an all-inclusive being and becoming that leaves behind most of the negatives of the past and is one that will be moving towards horizon after horizon of light; I do not think these things are any more preposterious or impossible than I do of the transhumanist visions of uploading; there are certainly problems and difficulties, some extraordinary, and we are certainly not out of the woods yet, by any means; plus, nothing is written in stone, including the belief that either post-humans or baselines will overcome, much less prevail; platitudes and sentiments, pep talks, and grandoise philosophies and pronouncements of this-is-it do not comfort me; only what we do, and in that doing, how we treat each other, will matter; what we make happen is going to count for far more than what we argue about and don’t do; it's up to us, no matter which way any of might decide to evolve

there are many, many unknowns about everything associated with what we think uploading will be and what it might actually turn out to be; the days of wine and roses are coming, but not anytime soon; beta is going to be around for some time, and that includes unknowns, the brave new world, undesirable outcomes, and many unexpected and unanticipated things; but, as the old saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained; plus, transhumanism is being approached by very intelligent people, which gives the outcome a greater edge than things that have come before; I can only hope that human ego and human hubris does not consciously or unconsicously sabotage the transhumanist ideas and visions for the future; I suspect that there will be people lining up to go beta with the next big thing in embodiment, and from these brave, or reckless pioneers, depending on your thoughts, we will learn if it even works, how it works, if it does, and how many of our assumptions were wrong, and how many pointed us in the right direction; if uploading works to the degree that is presently imagined, and if existential risk, or something equally or greater in destructive potential does not come into play -- such as, believe it or not, the Second Coming, or the Cosmic Simulation that we are presently immersed in is destroyed, or discontinued -- then the first uploaders will out-perform astronauts in their daring, vision, and risk-taking

the first uploaders will pass along what they have learned about the uploading experience, leaving the rest of us to decide what we might want to do; others will work out the bugs and produce upgrades; many may have changed their minds in favor of uploading by that time, but of course, that remains to be seen; beyond that, not only could we say the sky WAS the limit, but then we would say the universe, and even beyond, is the limit, or even more to the point, limits of any kind, are a thing of the past

with uploading, we will be laying the foundation for three extraordinary things: 1) taking conscious control of our evolution, 2) overcoming all limitations, limits, and impossibles, and 3) attaining to a state of spiritual consciousness, of spiritual being and becoming not previously imagined by anyone, and to a degree never before imagined; I for one do not believe that a sufficiently evolved state of spiritual being and becoming is limited to only one form of embodiement, i.e, human, biological embodiment; nor do I think that mind and spirit, and in transcendence, whatever consciousness then becomes, are limited to the biological form, and by extension, even to that of physicality and materiality; nor do I think that any of the spiritual possibilities for being and becoming, both now and in the future, are limited by human thinking; what we will have to deal with is unlimited possibilities, even impossible possibilities, and that is where the greatest risks and challenges will be, as well as the greatest benefits; I am confident, that at some point along the way, we will prevail, and then an entirely new order, new level, new state of being and becoming will come into manifestation; it will eclipse everything we have presently imagined, everything that we presently are, and everything that we know, including uploading and post-humanism

the subject of uplift is something to watch and study; I can only hope that leading-edge minds like Michael Anissimov -- as well as George Dvorsky and Anders Sandberg, among others -- will continue to blog on about these subjects, and for some time to come; my thanx and appreciation for what you are doing

dharmicmel
monday. 02 february 2008 ce.